Tearful homage to friend - Shankar Ramakrishna Iyer

There are days that make you very sad !!  ~  Triplicane would ever miss this tall lovable person always seen in pure white shirt and a neat white dhoti !! 

 

Remember seeing him from School days, he lived in TP Koil lane and later moved to Venkatrangam Street, son of a freedom fighter, he had a husky voice, good sense of humour, very good heart, smiling face and an impressive moustache ! 

“If nothing saves us from death, at least love should save us from life” 

.. ..   death also travels through the world dressed up as a sweeping broom,

It licks the ground as it looks for bodies,

Death is in the broom,

It is the tongue of death looking for the dead,

It is the needle of death looking for the thread.  -  Pablo Neruda

 

போட்டோ பிடிக்கறதுன்னா - காமெராவை கையில் தூக்கி தோராயமாக க்ளிக் பண்ணறதுன்னு நினைத்தீர்களா !!  ~  is  what I wrote posting a photo of him when he made a comeback recently but alas 59, he is gone.  He was ailing but we all hoped and prayed that he would recover, make a comeback, telling more jokes and keeping everyone happy.  Alas, did not happen. 

There is so much of Science, technology added with concentration and passion behind this. Lighting, angle, clarity and many more matters and some photographers literally are down to earth in trying to capture in the way they need..  For decade + we have stood shoulder to shoulder vying to capture Emperuman.  He for sure took tens of thousands of photos.  Remember him taking photos with Nokia 48MP phone, then moved to Canon DSLR – standing tall. 

Shankar would stand  tall above most persons -  clad in white and white., will lift and keep the Camera eyelid closer, then right arm will go up in circular motion – imagine an archer holding the Bow, pulling the strings and  releasing an arrow.  That was Shankar Ramakrishnan style of photographing ! 

Gone today ! – young – in his late 50s – gone is that smile and the heart that mingled with us all.  In late 1980s he worked in Madras Stock Exchange, got married at Thirumala, was one of the very early Computer literates – expert in photo processing had the large heart to take out beautiful prints of his Perumal photos and distribute them to many friends.  There have been calendars carrying his (out of) focus, as he would name some of his photos.  He had a stint in Middle East and Ceylon too – nothing of them are of relevance as he left for heavenly abode young leaving behind his beloved wife  Mrs Vidhya Shankar.

 

People coming to Sri Parthasarathi Thirukkovil will miss him,  his beautiful photos with tagline ‘Vishnumayam’ and videos  (photo above taken by TV Venkatesh in2014) 

Very sorry Shankar – Sad, we pay tearful homage to you this evening. Obsequies at his flat New no. 159/old 75, Flat no. 19, Vivekananda Apartments, Venkatrangam Street, near MOP Vaishnav School, opp to Chennai dental clinic / erstwhile Vasantha bungalow, Triplicane Chennai 600 005 

With deep sorrow – your friend
S. Sampathkumar
23.2.2024