I first met His Highness Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar just before his 50th birthday (10 years ago) when he involved me in a special project that he was passionate about. He was keen on reviving the silk industry of Karnataka. His intention, however, was never to become a fashion designer. He was a heritage textile revivalist and that was the only thing what he was trying to do. At that point, he was disturbed with the fact that Karnataka, which has been known for its silk yarn for generations, was losing its lustre in terms of quality as well as interest. He wanted to ensure the continuity of the grandeur of the yarn, and that is when he came up with his first collection of designer saris that we helped showcase at the Mysore Palace on his 50th birthday. His deep knowledge of culture and heritage brought in an interesting mix of tradition and modern design.

I still remember that beautiful collection in which he included the motif of the iconic Gandaberunda as part of his design. It was the first element of his weaves. Over the years of my association with His Highness, I believe it was his wife Pramoda Devi who was his muse in many ways. He held her opinions on all matters extremely high, and he was almost excited about seeking her opinion — especially about his designs.

His Highness had this kindness about him that one would assume was not even expected of a Maharaja. He had this emotional connect with the people he met — including the staff of the Palace, which is truly inspiring. He was such a learned man and his knowledge on music and textile was impeccable. Our meetings would usually take place at his study, where he would be seated on the ground as opposed to his plush cushioned chairs. His doctors had advised him to do so. He was always surrounded by music CDs, books and art. He kept himself updated on all current affairs and would, in fact, read 10 different newspapers from cover to cover every day. He was well informed on just about everything — from politics and sports to the art forms.

I would say he was also extremely health-conscious right through the years I knew him. There was this time when we had travelled to Ooty for the shoot of his catalogue. We had around 20 models with us, and we had to walk up a hill. The first person to reach the top was the Maharaja, and he had jokingly commented, ‘Your models can’t keep up with me’. He had a fabulous sense of humour and would often have us all in splits. I can still hear his rumbling laugh as he saw and helped us see the funny side of just about everything. Even at his palace, he was often seen walking briskly in his gardens. He was always conscious about what he ate, his kitchen staff would prepare his meals in portions with great care, taking into account his health requirements.

I met him less than a month ago for the last time at David Hill. I was urging him to drop by at one of our shows as he had become so busy with all his other commitments, including the recently concluded Dasara festivities in Mysore. He had said, ‘Just give me a call on the day of the show, if I am up to it, I will definitely drop by’. It is hard to imagine that we have lost one of the warmest icons of Karnataka’s history. It is a huge loss for the people of Mysore, Bangalore as well as the rest of the State. I will always remember him with lots and lots of affection.

The Maharaja’s Rajkumar connect

The late scion of the Mysore dynasty, Srikantadatta Wadiyar, had a filmi connection and that too, with the first family of Kannada cinema — the Rajkumars. The Maharaja has graced the muhurats of three of Shivarajkumar’s films — Santa, Mylari and Shiva — and even sounded the clap board on each of these occasions.

According to a source, Wadiyar shared a good bond with the Rajkumar family and spoke often about the late actor and his films. He also liked Shivarajkumar and so, when he was invited to do the honours of sounding the clap board for Shivanna’s films, he readily agreed. Apparently, it was producer KP Srikanth who got the Maharaja to join the muhurats each time.

Shivarajkumar, who was deeply saddened by the Maharaja’s demise on Tuesday, told us that he held great respect for the royal family. “The Maharaja used to talk a lot about cinema and cricket during our casual discussions. We would even watch cricket matches together at the Chinnaswamy stadium,” says the actor.
— Contributed by Mahesh H

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada> Mysore Palace / by Kavya Christopher, TNN / December 12th, 2013