He’s a singer, a miniature figurines collector and a homeopathy doctor, all rolled in one...
Simba, Dumbo, Bamby and Aladdin are among Dr K Narayanan’s best friends. When he’s done with his work for the day and sits back in contemplation, they serve as companions. They might look the same to an ordinary person, but Narayanan spots a different dimension in them, every day! “Look at the texture on this guy here,” he calls out with child-like enthusiasm, “Doesn’t it look fascinating?” Dr K Narayanan — who is perhaps one of the few collectors of miniature figurines in the city — considers them ‘real treasures’. “If you like nature, you’ll be able to appreciate these figures completely,” explains Narayanan, whose collection includes animals, replicas and movie characters among others. His collection is the result of several years of travel to countries like Germany, the US, Canada, UK and Australia. Made of high quality vinyl plastic, these figurines are considered a collector’s delight world over. “I also have figures of some of the rarest animal species,” he tells proudly, “Some of them are the aardvark, dodo, pangolin and sloth. They aren’t easily available.” Once he collects his treasures, he gets on to the Internet. “I search for pictures and information on those animals to find out how much of detailing has gone into the making of the toy,” he says, “This helps me in obtaining trivias about these rare animals.” Narayanan is also a much sought-after singer. His association with Oscar-winner A R Rahman started during Kandukondein Kandukondein and has continued till the recent Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. “Rahman has played an important role in taking classical music to the youngsters,” says Narayanan, a passionate Carnatic music buff, who trained under the music exponent, late S Rajam. On its influence on the present-day film music, he says, “There’s a lot of richness in classical music that’s still unexplored. My guru used to tell us that if we mastered the 72 melakarta ragams, we could sing anything!” Narayanan’s rendition of Veda Ghosham..., the title track of the popular television serial Enge Brahmanan, has appealed to many people. “Even children are singing that tune,” he gushes with pride. Currently, the singer — who is also a caricature artist and a homeopathy doctor — is looking forward to his trip to New Zealand and Australia, where he’ll present three-hour concerts that will feature traditional, semi classical and film songs, based on classical ragas. SRINIVASA RAMANUJAM http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/people/Treasure-hunter-/articleshow/5569310.cms -- regards, Vithur
