AVM name the New Recording Studio at Avichi College as 'Sampath Studio'
National awardee Audiographer
AVM K Sampath was a workaholic all his life and was at home only the 2nd
Sunday of every month. That was the big day of the month for his daughter Meera
during her entire childhood. She would eagerly wait for the 2nd
Sunday to arrive and spend the entire day chatting with him. He would share
songs with her and ask for her feedback. For the rest of the month, he was all
about work. But despite his long absence from
home, the always 'background man' had special love for his daughter Meera and always took good care
of her from the background. So profound was his understanding that when sad
scenes featured in movies, he ensured his office staff took her away from the
movie hall to the snacks zone of the theatre only to bring her back as more
happy scenes arrived. That love and care for her extended till the very end of
his life and it was to her that he spoke the final sentences of his life.
School Days - His
Sampath
had his school education in Trichy. Once when he attended a light music
programme, the different kinds of music played out that evening interested him
and he went up the stage to check out the way the sounds were created.
Impressed with his curiousity, the producer of the show called him by his side
and suggested that he should pursue music if that interested him.
After
completion of Class X, he moved to Chennai and joined a license course in
audiography in adyar. The principal at the college warned him of the
difficulties of the course but Sampath was relentless in the pursuit of his passion.
During those days, he would carry heavy music equipments as part of the training
programme. Much later in his life, he would stand by the railway line to record
the running of the trains and the sound of the engines, sometimes even the
sound of two trains running in opposite direction such was his commitment to his
trade.
He
joined AVM in the mid 1950s when he was in his early 20s and had an association
with them for over five decades. He recorded well over 5000 songs for AVM, was
a Recipient of State awards, thrice and a National award for a Malayalam movie.
He featured in Server Sundaram – the only time he was seen in a movie. After
the completion of the day’s work, Nagesh would drop him in his car near the
Mambalam Station railway gate. Very often, as Sampath got down from the car in
dark of the night, huge crowd would surround him thinking he was Nagesh only
for them to find that the legendary comedian had stumped them as he drove away
quietly in his car.
Always Work came first
Meera
recalls the good heartedness of her father in full measure at her wedding “Play
back singer Mano was to perform at our reception. But it was the time when he
received an opportunity to perform in the UAE. When appa came to know about
this, he told Mano that work always came first and that for no reason he should
turn down that opportunity. Mano had committed to playing at our reception and
his name had even been printed on the invitation. But appa forced him to go and
perform in Dubai. All through his life, his message to everyone was that one
should be committed to one’s job. Even though I missed Mano’s performance, I
was delighted at my father’s gesture.”
Son in law and COO of Assurant India Srikanth Srinivasan remembers the day of his wedding reception in Madurai “We were just a few
minutes away from the schedule time of the reception and Sampath Mama was
nowhere to be seen. He was so passionately involved with the recording work for
Director Bhagyaraj (who was one of his favourites), and his commitment to work
was such that he landed at the hall just in time and headed back to Chennai
early next morning.”
Sound Pillar of AVM
AVM
Sampath’s only nephew Ravi Ramaswamy had a close association with him from his
school days in the early 1970s. He says that Sampath mama was the ‘Sound
Pillar’ of AVM. Even though he did not have fundamental knowledge of music, he
showed extraordinary passion and commitment and straddled smoothly from the old
world to modern digital equipments, an indication of his ability to adapt
himself to changing technologies in the recording world. Ravi considers Sampath
completing voice mixing of three films – Avatharam, Magalir Mattum and Paattu
Paadava- in a single call sheet with Janaki amma as a memorable achievement.
He says that his uncle was extremely
affectionate, very strict in his principles, never showed favoritism to anyone
and was always wedded to his job responsibilities. Such was the trust reposed
on him by the AVM family that they rarely interfered in his work and gave him
complete freedom. In recognition of his work, the AVM family handed the AVM RR
theatre to him (and JJ Manickam) on a revenue sharing model for him to run it
independently.
Welfare of the workers till the very end
His
final service to the workers which even the family was not aware till it was
brought to their notice during his final moments came in April during the
lockdown “He was worried about his colleagues during the period of the
lockdown. During the last month of his life, he ensured support to 315 members.
Till the very end, his heart went out to his colleagues. He always wanted them to
be happy” says Meera.
The final interaction with his daughter
Over
the last few years, memory loss took the better of him but his family doctor
asked them not to disturb him from his routine as his life revolved around the
workers even after he touched 80. A week before he went into coma, he knew his
end was near. He called her by his side and told her “I have lived a happy
life. Please take care of your amma and keep her happy.” A few hours before he
went into coma, he called her by name in a thanking gesture of her birthday
wishes.
New Recording Studio named after AVM
Sampath
AVM
family, who run the Avichi College of Science and Arts has decided to name the new
recording studio that is coming up inside the campus as ‘Sampath Studio’ in
recognition of his contribution. Just prior to the lockdown, Sampath lent his
technical brilliance and assistance to design, construct and commission a modern
recording theatre for the students of the college. The work had progressed at a quick pace but unfortunately
the lockdown brought a halt to the work. And before he could see it through to
its final completion, Sampath breathed his last.
The
man who created ‘Sound of Music’ had to be given a compulsive farewell with no
sound at all, said Ravi.
Raja - His Favourite Disciple
Sound
Engineer K Balasundar (Raja to those in the film industry) who had been under
the tutelage of AVM Sampath for two decades now runs his own recording studio
and has done recording work for around 50 films in the last two years. He says
that his Guru Sampath Sir always stood by the righteous, practiced truth and
worked tirelessly every day of his life. Not once did he waver from the Dharmic
path. “He told everyone about his way of life and work. A dishonest or
untruthful person could not come anywhere near him.
Sampath
recently told him ‘I may not live to see that event but you will receive the
National award one day.” Raja says the confidence and belief his Guru had in
him has inspired him immeasurably and he will strive every bit to make his
Guru’s words come true.
A Staffer’s Delight
AVM
Sampath was always a worker’s man
and ensured they were happy at all times. Twice he rejected lands offered to
him, first by AVM and subsequently by FEFSI as he wanted them to give the land
to those who did not own him, such was his large heartedness. Hence when he
passed away on May 1 his son in law Srikanth Srinivasan found some peace within
himself “While the death saddened us and several thousands of members from the
film industry, we found some peace given the Day he passed away. He was closely
associated with CAASI (Cine Audiographers Assn of South India) and always
sought the welfare of his colleagues. Hence, May Day was always his favourite
day of the year. Being a Staffers’ man, he would have been happy that he passed
away on May Day as he considered the day as a very special one of the year.”
Tears
roll down as Meera recounts the final few sentences of his life “Just a few
hours before he went into coma and with memory loss at its peak, he uttered
this, the last communication of his life ‘There is a call sheet for SP
Muthuraman. Even though I am feverish, I should go and finish the recording for
him.’ It was probably a recollection of some recording from the decades gone
by. Till his last breath, his voice chanted the audio recording mantra”.
That
summed up his commitment to work and to the film industry. Sincere
efforts never fail was his motto and he lived by those principles till the very
end.
No comments:
Post a Comment