KutcheriBuzz
Interviews
Award for senior arts journalist; Sruti's S. Janaki
- Category: Interviews
- 16 March 2015
Twenty-five years in journalism is a long journey. Alwarpet resident S. Janaki passed that milestone quietly late last year. Last week-end, Womens Voluntary Service recognised Janaki’s work in arts journalism at its Womens Day celebration held in Chetpet. She was decorated with an award.
Janaki is the executive editor of ‘Sruti’ magazine, India’s only magazine devoted to the performing arts and theatre. On Thursday, Janaki spoke to ‘Kutcheribuzz’ on the telephone. Here are excerpts from that conversation.
Early days in journalism
After attending a under-grad course at Benares Hindu University I joined the ‘New Republic’ newspaper at its desk in Dhanbad. That was in 1988. After my dad passed away, we moved to Madras and I came to join ‘Sruti’ magazine in 1989.
Early days at ‘Sruti’
It was at a seminar on Bharatanatyam I attended that I passed on my biodata to a seminar colleague who passed it on to Sruti’s founding editor Pattabhiraman. At that time ‘Sruti’ was based at his home, ‘Alapana’ on J. J. Road in Alwarpet. I was not looking for a well-paying job. I began with Rs.1000. We learnt a lot from Pattabhiraman. From his eruditeness, his outlook and his fearlessness. He taught us to be objective and to maintain integrity.
Sruti’s journey
‘Sruti’ was focussed on the south in its early years. Today, it is known across India. Because our coverage is across India and across the world. We have also got tech-savvy. I started in the days when we used to typewrite stories, typeset them, clip and paste to design pages.....today, everything is done on computers. ‘Sruti’ is online and offers apps to its readers.
Your journey
I wanted to learn more about the performing arts and I have got this here. I am a trained dancer but the learning of the arts has been a great experience. I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with great artistes; to look at them closely. Their personality gets reflected in their art - the white, the grey and the black.
The challenges
Bringing out a monthly is not easy. It is like delivering a baby every month! Even today. When Pattabhiraman passed away, we hardly had any stories for our next issue. For the December 2002
issue. We had to work from scratch. We are a small team and you can imagine the
challenges.
Changes in the arts world
In classical music, our youths are doing very well. They also find avenues to earn decently. But in classical dance, mediocrity rules. There are lots of dancers produced by lots of dance teachers who are not learning in depth but are keen only to produce dancers. The system is superficial at best. People are drawn by the glamour, by media coverage. The pay-and-perform culture has runs deep so quality is sacrificed.
Plans to write a book
Have not thought about it. I am not the kind of person who ‘tells all’.
S. Janaki can be reached at the Sruti office at 28128075.
