Hindustan Times
About Raja Reddy, his dance and two wives
I know when Kaushalya Reddy reads this, she will call me and say: But you wrote more about us than dance. Quite true but then the personal life of Reddys put together, is more fascinating than their professional one. They started as a twosome and ended up as a group of five: There is no confusion. Everything is divided among five of us, Kaushalaya Reddy told me.
The other day when I was invited to Hotel Ashoka’s f-Bar to celebrate an award which was conferred on Raja Reddy, he was flanked by his wives: two of them. Both sisters: Radha and Kaushlaya who is much younger.
I was not seeing them as a threesome for the first time. I always have since I have known them. They often host page three parties and always include me in their guest list. I admire the way in which they publicly handle their somewhat complicated relationship. They are neither apologetic about it nor attempt to explain the threesome: This is how we are take it or leave it. And the sense I get, people have come around. Not that it would have mattered even if they hadn’t. Because in their scheme of things, they frame rules on how they want to lead their lives. So even when their little girls, two of them, came home from school and asked why they have two mothers and their friends one, Kaushalya told them it was God’s way to bless them.
The original couple, Raja and Radha, are the dancing duo who have in past years, to quote New York Times stormed and circled the stage flashing out showers of cleanly articulated dramatic gestures.
The Kuchipudi family: Kaushalya, Yamini, Bhavna, Raja & Radha Reddy.
Kaushalya is Kuchipudi dancer Raja Reddy’s second wife. Also the talkative one. But ask her and she calls herself ‘the invisible one’. Very tough for someone as vivacious as her, but she is right. When it comes to professional positioning, Kaushalya is completely absent. Flip through the CV and it is one on Raja and Radha even though Kaushalya is a dancer in her own right and steers the Natya Tarangini: a school set up by Reddy’s to teach Kuchipudi form of dancing. Professionally the focus is clearly on Raja and Radha Reddy, who are among the first dancing couples in India. I recall what Jan Murray once wrote bout them in The Guardian: Raja and Radha Reddy attractive pair, she tiny, curvaceous and prone to fits of giggles, he tall and romantically handsome.
Much of that is gone today. Radha does not giggle anymore and Raja is not particularly handsome. But yes he has a presence. I know Kaushlaya is going to throw up her hands and say ‘How dare you’ to me. But then she and I need not think alike.
By her own admission, she was struck by his looks. Except that it happened ten years after she had lived with the Reddys. Radha and Kaushalya, as I said, are sisters.
Raja Reddy and his two wives, Radha and Kaushalya
Kaushalya came to them as a toddler and Raja, initially her brother in law, was her guardian in Delhi: a father figure really. But an overseas trip changed the relationship. They were in Singapore when Kaushalya watched a performances: My God what a handsome man. No wonder women vie for is attention, she said to herself. Impulsive as she is, Kaushlaya went backstage and proposed to him. She was all of 14 and Raja 30 or 40 plus she says with a twinkle in her eye. Raja dismissed it as infatuation but Kaushalya was not willing to relent: Abhi, isi waqt abhi nahin to kabhi nahin. (It is now or never) She served an ultimatum.
To Kaushalya, it was not about breaking Radha’s home but settling in there. When she told Radha about her intention, Radha imposed a condition: Share my husband but not the stage. Kaushalya willingly agreed. For her it was not about dance but the man. For Radha, it was more the onstage chemistry between her and her husband.
Therefore, while the two literally share the man, Raja the dancer is exclusively Radha’s. And Kaushalya has not trespassed the limit set by her sister. Even though trained by both Raja and Radha Reddy (they are my gurus Kaushalya told me) Kaushalya quit dancing many years ago. Later when the girls, Yamini and Bhavana, were born, the whole family has often performed together.
Years ago when I interviewed Radha Reddy on television, she confessed that after agreeing to Kaushalya marrying Raja, she locked herself in the room and cried: Bahut royee main. Yet, I sensed that Radha is no push over. She has a mind of her own and is clearly the ‘this far no further’ types.
Raja’s marriages, both of them, created a sensation. His first, to Radha, happened when they were kids, given that in their home state of Andhra Pradesh, child marriages were common. But Radha’s parents were unwilling to send off their daughter with a penniless dancer. Radha bribed the village potter with the only coin she had as savings, to summon Raja to rescue her. Raja sold off his only shirt to reach her. They eloped and married on the train to Hyderabad.
His second marriage to Kaushalya. was kept under wraps for sometime. Once announced, it created a stir. Many of his friends chided him: Itni aachi biwi hai, doosri kyon laya (You are married to such a nice girl. Why did you remarry?) Kismat kismat(Destiny) is all that Raja would say in his defence.
Even the Jallandar wale guruji (a godman from jallandar whom the Reddys visited regularly) joked about his bigamous status often addressing him as do biwi wala. Raja’s own brother, a bachelor, never forgave him: You with two wives and I could not even manage one.
Then there was this senior politician, who as country’s law minister, went to Raja’s house for dinner. As is customary he took two bouquets, one for Radha and another for Kaushalya. When Kaushalya saw him she quipped: So even the country’s law minister recognizes bigamy.
Kaushalya has changed many things about Raja. For starters she banned the use of make-up, specially the layers of pancake and tons of face powder which he plastered to make his jet black skin look a little white. Next she bundled away his safari suits, ties and shoes: Only dhoti kurta and kohlapuris she said. But when it comes to shorts, it is a yes ofcourse because he looks very sexy in them.
What she has not been able to change is his unrequited love for film star and later Member of Parliament Vyjantimala: I saw Nagin ( a film in which the actress has a lead role) 17 times. I have often tried curling my hair into Vyjanti–jee’s type of ringlets but I never get that right Raja told me over a delicious Andhra meal indulgently served by both Kaushalya and Radha.
(4 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Kumkum Chadha on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Filed under India · Tagged dance, Hotel Ashoka's f-Bar, India, Kaushalya Reddy, Radha, Raja Reddy, wives
Interesting:)
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 15th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
thanks
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Very interesting. Managing two dansue wives. No wonder he dances so well !!
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 15th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Right
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Laval of adjustment and understanding is key to there bold relationship in our conservative society
Still it Takes courage to accept such relationship (among themselves) and yes thery are moving on.
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 15th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Courage for average people yes but once you are successful then it is easy to call the shots and I think Raja Reddy and his family are doing just that: nothing succeeds like success you know
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rakesh Reply:
April 16th, 2009 at 9:50 am
were they as successful,when the second marriage happened?i feel they are really brave.
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I don’t know if they were as successful but they were fairly well known. Raja’s career was at its peak I think and he was a sought after dancer. But you are right it takes courage to announce socially unacceptable relationships and this they carried through and apart from the world, made it very normal for their daughters as well. That I think is commendable.
smita Reply:
April 16th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
SO VERY TRUE
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very interesting read………. keep the blogs coming !!!!
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Certainly and thanks
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podmena traffica testesome has been given a neat romantic twist by kumkum Chadha. It all sounds so nice. But there are so many vital questions, which males would be inclined to think in this situation.
Do they all go to bed together, or do the wives earmark different days for themselves. I know this could sound crude to some, but maybe this could also be put in a soft romantic context as is is the tone of the article….
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I must confess that this crossed my mind but I was afraid to ask…the tone of the aeticle is not romantic at least not intended to but a narrative about their lives. I was not justifying or criticising their decision merely stating it as it is and yes underlining the elemnt that they do not care what the world thinks. If this is good or bad I really do not know. .
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I must confess this crossed my mind but I was afraid to ask. Also I was not trying to romanticise their lives. I was merely narrating the way their lives were…not being judgemental but bringing it to the fore the way it was and is..
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there is a term in hindi-unglion pe nachana and its the wives who make husband dance,its a rare case where the guy is making two women dance.i am impressed,and would like to meet and touch this great guy.
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Sure I could check and arrange a meeting. Alternately you could call him and refer to the blog and ask to meet him. He would, I guess eb happy. About his greatness I do not know but one thing I must conceede that he did not abandon Radha for Kaushalya and has given her a place Whether this is because of the compulsiosn of dance I cannot say but even in later years she occupies n important place in the household. That to me is something commendable for both Raja and Kaushlaya who instead of pushing out her sisiter decided to fit in to the existing arrangment.
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your exellence was in un earthing the bad deals of equity markets without compromisation.
congratulations for your pivotal roles.
now a days journalism withoutvalid degree&sense of news has become fashion of the profession &had hampared the entire ethics of journalism,particularly by the electronic mediamen.
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as you rightly said, “Nothing succeeds like success” and the Reddy’s as a family can call the shots. However I would say in this whole “ARRANGEMENT” Radha is to be saluted for allowing this to happen and then even made it stay for such a long period.
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kumkum chadha Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
You are absolutely right. In fact it si Radha who has accepted tis decision with dignity and confidence and not made a scene or a public spectacle of herself or the family. She must have gone through hell and when she told me that she cried in the bathroom my heart reached out to her…..Yes Radha must be saluted and I for one have a great deal of respect for her first as a woman and ofcourse as a professional dancer..
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Ms Kumkum,
Liked you bold assessment of Radha, Kaushlya and Raja Reddy. Their relationship is strange even in the current context. The credit must be given to Radha who gave space to her younger sister. How their children react to their relationship is yet to be assessed. Wish to read more from you on such ‘controversial’ but prominent figures of current times.
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Thanks and you are right about Radha who has accepted tis decision with dignity and confidence and not made a scene or a public spectacle of herself or the family. She must have gone through hell and when she told me that she cried in the bathroom my heart reached out to her…..Yes Radha must be saluted and I for one have a great deal of respect for her first as a woman and ofcourse as a professional dancer..About the children each tiem I have met them they seem to treat the situation normally and without embarrassment.
Will continue blogging and I hope you continue to find the stories interesting.
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“That’s right,” the man said. “I couldn’t remember the word.” He was the only t, then high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more than 175 million active users in amount of visitors, making Facebook the most popular social network, followed by MySpace and Twitter.other human at the loading dock this morning. The man didn’t have a name, just a number, like the rest of the robots. Paris, at Night.
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I find this entire situation very creepy and disturbing. Here in the USA, the man would be considered a pedophile and would be sent to jail. Just because a 14 yr old girl has a crush on a much older man doesn’t mean that the man has to go along with it. Plus, as actress Candice Bergen said of the Woody Allen-Soon Yi relationship, “you don’t bring up a child and marry it”. This is a man who
was for years a father figure to her. And then he marries her? Yecchhhhhhhh……
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Yes, he was a father figure. I knew them all from when they were just starting out. The story is quiet different. Kaushalaya was the one that was married off to Raja as a child bride. However Radha was the one he fell in love with. Raja had to marry Kaushalya…as they were promised to each other. Think about it…why did Kaushalya come to Delhi as a child (she was 9 or 10). She moved in with them at that age (and not a toddler). Why did not her younger sister join them as well…why only Kaushalya? By the way, there was a story that Radha was also married to someone as a child…but he died. Therefore, she was a child widow. The elopment part is true. But the villagers and family made sure Raja kept his promise to his child bride Kaushalya! They sent her to Delhi and Raja married her when she turned 15 or 16.
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Weird. Bigamy is unlawful in India, and it seems strange that the parents could condone their 15 year old daughter competing with her married elder sister for their 30+ son-in-law!
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VERY INTERESTING DONT THEY FEEL JEALOUS OF EACH OTHER? WOMEN R KNOWN FOR THEIR JEALOUSY FACTOR. MOREOVER TWO SISTERS R HAVING SIBLING RIVALRY ALSO
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