Bollywood Oscar nominee gives back

OSCAR nominee Jayashri Ramnath, fondly referred to as Dr Bombay Jayashri in the entertainment and Carnatic music industry, doesn't consider the nomination of her lyrics for Pi's Lullaby from the movie Life of Pi (2012) to be her proudest moment. Instead, that honour is reserved for one of her early performances.

The Kolkata-born singer recalls: "There were lots of great musicians in the audience, including my Guru (respected Carnatic musician Lalgudi Jayaraman). As soon as I saw him, I got so weak in my knees and wanted to leave. Instead, I sang for an hour, and when my performance ended, he was invited to speak. He mentioned how he found me to be a good student, and it gave me so much encouragement and hope. That day was a blessing."

The 50-year-old spent her childhood in Mumbai, and moved to Chennai in 1989 to learn from her Guru, whose music inspired her to pack her things and leave everything she knew to learn from him.