WOMAN'S Life

----->Diva With A Difference

    By Prathibha Nandakumar

    "Antaratma nee guru he aatma tamohari...."

    Listening to the soul searching rendering of that famous Kannada poem of Kuvempu by Premalatha Diwakar, you stand transfixed wondering who is more beautiful.... the song or the singer.

    It is at that particular moment that realization drawn that it is neither but that exalting feeling of the triumph of art against the mundane. To gain it all without losing out on anything is an achievement rarely accomplished and Premalatha has proved it possible.

    It's a hard climb to the top for Premalatha Diwakar, singer & actor. With about 500 cassettes (with others) and 25 solos to her credit, she is the diva with a difference. She did not have to fight external opposition but win over her own inner conflicts of a artiste and duty bound housewife to reach her goal.

    Self-denial came naturally to Premalatha having brought up in a traditional atmosphere. "Ours is a family of artistes & writers. Music runs in the family. But it was art for arts sake and it could not deter me from my prime concern of playing the role assigned to me. I never thought I would take up singing as a career".

    Premalatha was born in Kasaragod, a small place that did not provide much to safety her artistic craving. She went to school at Udupi but as she was staying in a girl's hostel, she was not allowed to go out to pursue art.

    When she joined PUC at Mysore, she was determined to study arts and completed her BA from Fine Arts College with music, theatre and dance as major subjects. She secured first rank and won the gold medal.

    Before she could even think of a career in music, she was married at an early age. Her gorgeous voice, her talent and training in music for two decades were nothing compared to the happiness she derived out of motherhood. "When I was pregnant with my first child, I gave up music and everything else with out batting an eyelid because I wanted to give it everything. It did not matter that I had just then recorded my first cassette Olume by CBS Co. which was received well and I was getting several offers. I said no to everything except motherhood."

    After her first daughter Amshu was born, she realized that the artiste in her was not ready to die. She had to perform. She started from scratch and soon she was singing again at Akashavani Yuvavani. Gradually, she made it to being an A-grade artiste. She was invited by the Dooradarshan to sing light music.

    This time she made more cassettes of devotional songs. Her second album Muttu Kolliro was released by Sangeeta Co. Premalatha started learning Hindustani first from Nagaraj Hawaldar and later from Pandit Ram Rao Naik and soon she participated in Malhar Utsav, Kalyan Utsav, Thumri Sajda Utsav.

    Then television happened. She acted in Shivanand Bekal's Prayoga with veterans like B. Saroja Devi and Lokanath.

    Then followed a series of stage shows and compering assignments like Dasara, Dhwani, Karavali Utsav, Hoysala Utsav, Halebidu Utsav. She conducted Swara Madhurya for Dooradarshan, an anthakshari programme that she conducted, anchored and also judged. It was at that time that she realized that a single child creates lot of expectations. She wanted her daughter to achieve everything that herself could not. It was once again the dilemma between the artiste and the mother. The mother won and she gave birth to her second daughter Sanjeevini.

    "I agree that there are millions of women who manage both very well. Career and motherhood need not be conflicting. But that actually is the difference between dream and reality. I had to make my dream come true but I did not want to mess up my family life as well. The demands as a housewife was too exacting and the artiste in me was also equally demanding. I did not want to give up on both. I waited with patience and in belief. I knew that someday I would make my dream come true. My patience paid off. It takes so much for a woman to succeed in life and I wanted to achieve it with out giving up on anything. My moments of truth were when I sang with S.P.Balamuralikrishna for an album Neene Paramapavani or at the golden jubilee celebrations at Hubli, which was telecast live. Or the times when I was invited repeatedly for the Ede thumbi Hadidenu by DD or singing for films with music directors like Rajan nagendra, Vijay Bhaskar, Upendra Kumar, V Manohar or recently when Rameshchandra and I sang on the occasion of President Abdul Kalam's visit to Bangalore."

    Premalatha is acting in the popular teleserial 'Nandagokula'. " I identify with the character because Tara, the character lives for her children. Her loving nature makes her see only the good in a person."

    Literature, especially poetry attracts Premalatha. When ehver she sings Yava Mohana Murali Kareyitu by Gopalakrishna Adiga or Ghama Ghama Ghamadthava Mallige by Bendre or Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo by Kabir Das or Meera bhajan she excels in bringing out the lyrical excellence as well as the soulful composition.


My Present Activities

  • I have been able to impart the knowledge to the younger generation. The response is overwhelming and has become a daily work which I do it with full heart. Some of my students have excelled in the field and made a very good name.