Music for the sake of a comrade

Vishwamohan Bhatt and son Salil Bhatt organise concert to fund kidney transplant of theatre artiste Malathi Saroj. The concert will take place in Chowdaiah Memorial Hall on Saturday, 7pm

Popular theatre artiste and film actress Malathi Saroj has been bed-ridden for over a year, with kidney failure, requiring three sessions of dialysis a week. With Malathi and her husband, actor and theatre artiste Anilkumar, unable to meet the expenditure of a kidney transplant, things were looking grim for the couple.

Fortunately, now some popular musicians have come to their aid. Padmashree awardee and Grammy winner Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt and his son Pandit Salil Bhatt, along with other artistes, have organised a music concert for them. The concert will be held at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall in Malleshwaram on Saturday at 7 pm with tickets priced at Rs 1,000.

Malathi requires close to Rs 15 lakh for the kidney transplant.

Since her condition came to limelight a month ago, various organisations have come to her aid including the supporting actors association led by Bank Janardhan and Karnataka Television Association. Salil Bhatt said, “Malathiji has suffered double kidney failure. I am upset with the fact that a veteran artiste like her is suffering. It is so scary and disturbing, being an artiste myself. My father and Anilkumarji are childhood friends. Anilkumarji is so hassled, tense and shattered, trying to take care of Malathiji. This concert is the least we could do to support them.”

Organising the concert was not easy. “We have to request everyone including the audience with folded hands. We have to cry and whine for a good event,” says Bhatt, the hurt evident in his voice.

Director B Suresha said, “She played the main role in most of R Nagesh’s plays and many of MS Sathyu’s experimental plays.

She has had diabetes for nearly 20 years and recently had renal failure. Kidney transplant is the only option. Actress Umashree, with whom she has acted earlier and is a friend since their early days, has been apprised of the situation and has promised help from the government. All of us are trying our best to help her.”

Malathi is a veteran in both theatre and films. Her husband Anilkumar is also an actor and played the male lead in Puttanna Kanagal’s Bili Hendti. Malathi was seen in films like Kanneshwara Rama, Kaadu Kudure, Sadananda, Indradhanush and Ade Raaga Ade Haadu among others. Malathi was known as Malathi Rao earlier and changed her name to Malathi Saroj, which is her mother’s name.