Is he a Birdman or Camera’s father?

“People encouraged me in all aspects, especially my wife. I feel blessed at times. Be it as a camera technician or a service man to birds, I always have immense pleasure to do such things which will satisfy my soul”, says C Sekar who owns his “Camera house” in his apartment.

C Sekar is a normal man who lives in a rented apartment at Royapettah. Before 35 years, he came to Chennai and his instincts as a camera mechanic started emerge.  He finished his diploma in electronics and started working as a TV and VCR mechanic, then later he realised his passion of collecting vintage cameras.  Today, he has a collection of more than 4500 different cameras in his camera house. “I always have fond for cameras. I am happy that my passion turns out to be a business which is helping me in a financial way as of now. Often people from foreign countries would come and ask me to sell my precious cameras to them but I would deny always. Collecting the cameras is my passion which i always wanted to protect our digital history and so i refuse to sell them. Instead i will rent cameras for my earning purpose” he adds. Some of the college students visit his place to study camera at times.

Apart from being considered as a camera’s father, his love towards birds made him to create a sanctuary for parakeets in his terrace. Sekar doesn’t own any pet but he used to keep some food for crow, squirrel and pigeon at first. Then later at the time of tsunami in 2004, two parrots started to come for having the food which increased day by day where they occupied the place of other birds. When asking about this, he adds “It’s not a magic or luck. Maybe they migrate from a place to another they pass by here”.  Number of parakeets reaches his place differs from season to season. It is said that in summer, from 500 to 2000 parrots would visit his place and in winter, the count would go beyond 4000. Approximately, he spends 60kg of rice per day for birds itself, and he will keep them food starting from 4:30am-6am and 3pm till the sky becomes dark. “I might have missed my meal sometimes but these parrots have never missed a meal for the past 10 years” he says happily.

Being a great person, he still struggles to earn more for the benefits of parrots. “Many media people from channels, newspapers and websites have come and approached me for knowing about these works. They have collected all my stories and published in a different perspective. But none have helped me for building up the place in a financial way and even for food or giving any sponsor. This makes me feel disappointed in many ways. It would be privilege to have a support from Government” says Sekar who finishes his story manfully.

AN AIM FOR THE WIDER REACH OF TRADITIONAL ART FORM

A folk art troupe brings out our traditional culture in an artistic way.

“The centre creates a life for the people who have been discouraged and disrespected. We doesn’t work much when we were an alone artist. People like me struggled a lot for not having work and earning was quite difficult for us. But as a member of this troupe, we are working as well as studying with the help of educational sponsors. We have a good training and getting huge respect from everyone we see through this. This will encourage us to build up our talents” says Malini, a member of the troupe.

“Maatru oodaga maiyam” is a folk art troupe and is so called “Alternative Media Centre” involves in stage shows, folk songs that creates awareness and the behaviour change component, Folk dances like Karagattam, Oyilattam, Paraiyattam, Saataikuchi, Silaiattam, Gummi and Kaliyalattam, debates and theatre performance. In Tamil Nadu, Alternative media centre has branches in 32 districts with a number of talented people into it. In Chennai, it is situated in Chinmaya Nagar, Virugambakkam with 87 members. The Centre got started in 2005 by Kaleeswaran who worked as a regional manager for Population Services International (PSI) and currently a professor at Loyola College.

“There were totally 250 folk art organizations in Tamil Nadu. But 5 are doing well in present and my centre is one of them. I have started this media centre for the profit of the people who have been performing this traditional art form for years, to show their hidden talents and open the eyes of the public to know about our traditional culture even better” says Kaleeswaran, founder of the centre.

The group involves in Public Service Announcement (PSA) through arts for changing public attitudes and behaviours towards a social issue. The members have a separate house for staying and performing their arts. They have some sponsors for poor people in education fees.

“Theatre performance has four types which is an Art, Development, Political and for Protest. We do all kind of folk performance and even street play in need of social awareness. We even used to perform at marriage functions and festivals” Says Jayaseeli, coordinator of the centre.

The organization have a huge platform for underprivileged  people , and also they have a free education in folk tradition art for NGOs, poor people from Government school and college students, communist people and suppressed people. Government seeks to it in case of any awareness programme to be conducted. It involves in the need of behaviour changes towards Government and public on this.

Asking about the future plans, Kaleeswaran adds, “Our main aim is to showcase our talented volunteers in the field of Traditional art. There were many old successful people who have been in this centre for many years but still have not been exposed well. So, our future plans would be to make documentary films about them. We are letting people not to forget our arts and culture. This troupe involves not only for protecting our culture but also for saving the people’s art”.