jazz when my father created the orchestra in the 30s it probably was the first of its kind in south india says his daughter dancer madhu nataraj as it was the time of the silent movies the orchestra would play music along with the movie for the 20 or so years that they were active they would cut discs perform around the country and were even hired by famous dancer ram gopal to compose music for his productions after disbanding the orchestra in the 50s silk natarajan as he was famously known for the stylish silk shirts he wore would focus energies on promoting folk dances and dancers of the state he promoted many artists from the state in fact that is how he met my mother guru maya raohe was the first man to take troupes from karnataka for republic day celebrations in delhi says madhu natarajan would also join hands with an krishna rao and other literary figures to start the kannada chaluvali movement he would even change his name to mysore natarajan as a show of allegiance to his adopted state while his interests changed from one project to another natarajan always remained loyal to his books he excelled at whatever he did but would lose interest and move on to the next thing but one thing that he stuck to were his books he reprinted and reassembled rare books says madhu who feels that for the jack of all trades that he was natarajan would have been perfect for todays world of start upskamaladevi chattopadhyayfor those who knew her during indias independence struggle the memory of kamaladevi chattopadhyay was of a stunningly beautiful woman who would lead marches with her long hair left loose a mangalurean by birth and married twice the second time to harin chattopadhyay from whom she derives the surname kamaladevi was a noted freedom fighter whod become the first woman to run for a legislative seat in india she founded the all india womens conference in 1927 and was one of the seven members in gandhis salt satyagraha movementfor those who knew or learnt of her post indias independence chattopadhyay was an iron woman who could do it all it is under her stewardship that indias handicrafts and handlooms industry received a new lease of life a renaissance woman chattopadhyay was the force behind setting up cultural institutions like the national school of drama sangeet natak akademi central cottage industries emporium and the crafts council of india while these may be her more celebrated achievements chattopadhyays legacy lies in the quiet way she mentored and inspired talented youngsters when my mother returned from russia and wanted to set up a dance institute in delhi it was kamaladevi who helped her set up natya institute of kathak and choreography under the aegis of unesco in 1964 says dancer madhu nataraj adding i remember seeing her when i was a kid she was well into her 80s but she was sharp even at