Her name is Bombay Jayashree. My wife received them at the airport and drove them home. They stayed in our home for 3 days. We took care of them very well. They were very happy. We asked Jayashree “you sing very well and your voice is so sweet” and therefore why don’t you sing in the Tamil movies. She said I am trying but no one has given me the opportunity. After 3 days, they left.
After a few years my company transferred me to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. When we were there, one year, we went to Paris for vacation. One day we went to an area called Gare du Nord. Actually, it is called a little “Tamil Nadu”. We went there to have some South Indian lunch. We could hear the song “Vaseegara” in every nook and corner.
My wife said this voice sounds like Bombay Jayashree. We asked one of the restaurant owner who the singer is. He said this is the voice of Bombay Jayashree and this is her first song in the movie industry and it has become very famous.
Many years go by. We were vacationing in Chennai. There was a Carnatic music concert by Bombay Jayashree. We bought tickets and went inside the auditorium. We were in the 10th row. I told my wife she is looking at us. My wife said she is looking at the audience while singing and not us. The concert ended.
Her fans were eager to see her and so mobbed her. We were sitting in our seats in the 10th row. She braved her fans and was coming towards us. And finally came near us. She said “Lalitha mami, epdi irukale” (Lalitha Auntie. How are you). Then she turned around and addressed me “Sorry uncle. I forgot your name after a long time”. I said that is ok and glad you remembered auntie’s name.
She gave us her home address and phone number and invited us to visit her. We decided not to go.
(PS: She was nominated for an Oscar Award for her work in the movie Life of Pi.
Here is her Vaseegara song in YouTube.
