CHENNAI: Thenkachi Ko Swaminathan let his work speak for him.
Literally, because his work was “speaking!”.
He made listeners laugh, even while disseminating nuggets of information, through his programme on All India Radio.
Born in the village of Thenkachi, he came to be known by the prefix Thenkachi.
When he was 14, his poems were published in journals like Bharatidasan’s ‘Kuyil’, and communist leader Jeeva’s ‘Thamarai.’ With a BSc in agriculture, Thenkachi was appointed host in an agricultural programme in All India Radio (AIR)- Tirunelveli station.
With his breezy, conversational style, he made the programme appealing to everyone.
Many of his old listeners miss those days of the radio and his work is worth remembering ahead of his 79th birth anniversary on June 27.
In ‘Indru Oru Thagaval’, a programme broadcast on AIR Madras, Thenkachi narrated a story through which he gave listeners information about science, history or current affairs, and signed off with a joke, and all of this in just five minutes.
The programme went on from 1988 to 2002.
Quite a feat, at a time when television had a strong presence in households.
Such was his fan following that a group of visually challenged people visited Madras AIR station, and told Thenkachi that since only a few books were available in Braille, his programme was their window to the world.
The programme had many celebrity fans such as A V M Saravanan, director S P Muthuraman and Sivaji Ganesan.
When Sivaji was in hospital, he asked for a transistor radio, so that he wouldn’t miss ‘Indru Oru Thagaval’.
What did Thenkachi’s family think of the programme? “We didn’t know about it,” says his daughter Sentamizhselvi.
“We didn’t even own a radio!” After the programme had been running for two years, one of Thenkachi’s colleagues said to his wife: “I missed yesterday’s programme.
What was your husband’s message?” And that’s when the family came to know about it.
After his retirement as assistant director, AIR, Thenkachi began the programme ‘Inda Naal Iniya Naal’ on SUN TV, which went on for eight years, the pattern being similar to his radio programme.
Now for the first time, listeners could put a face to the voice.
Sivaji had wanted to do some mono acting based on Thenkachi’s mannerisms.
But that would have been a challenge even for Nadikar Thilakam, for Thenkachi had no peculiar mannerisms, and told jokes with an impassive countenance.
Thenkachi’s face was a reflection of the kind of man he was – placid, with no emotional swings.
His work was recognised through many awards including the Kalaimamani, Devan memorial award, an award from Bharatiyar University.
Thenkachi always made use of public transport.
“He refused SUN TV’s offer to provide transportation, and travelled by bus from Madipakkam to the studio.
All his earnings from the programme were donated to orphanages,” says Komal Anbarasan, who wrote Thenkachi’s biography ‘Kadai Rajavin Kadai’.
Humour was his second name till the end.
When in hospital, his friend remarked, “There is a man on TV who walks and talks like you.” “Can he take my place in the hospital?” said Thenkachi.
Sentamizhselvi recalls that Thenkachi’s story on television the day he died was about a sage, who enjoys a sweet in the last moments before his death.
Thenkachi’s message for the day was: ‘There are many pleasant things in life.
Savour them.’ (The writer is a freelance journalist)