Quietly and astutely Madhan Karky came out of his father’s (award-winning Tamil poet Vairamuthu) shadow to deliver hit after hit songs in Kollywood. His debut song as lyricist was Irumbile Oru Irudhayam (Endhiran, 2010) when he was working as professor at Anna University, Chennai. He went on to pen lyrics for more than 15 films. Some of his songs are Elay Keechaan (Kadal), Google Google (Thuppaki), Ask Laska (Nanban) and Veesum Velichathile (Naan Ee).

However, this 33-year-old’s first love is teaching. He decided to take on his father’s mantle for financial reasons, Karky claims. He graduated in BE (computer science) from College of Engineering (CEG), Guindy, Chennai, in 2001 and went on to pursue a master’s course in information technology at University of Queensland, Australia — he graduated in 2004. He later read for PhD in sensor networks from the same university. “My experiences in Australia were an eye-opener. I had to work at an Indian restaurant to fund my expenses. There I met people from different cultures and countries. At college we were a mixed batch of students from China, Italy, Spain and India,” he says.

He founded the Karky Research Foundation in 2013. The foundation’s main focus is language computing. “The lessons learned in college are a part of education. The experiences and lessons you learn outside college are what I would call as real education. No one teaches you those things,” he says as we sit down to discuss his college life.

What did college teach you?

It was after joining college that I took an interest in academics. At CEG, everything about the subject interested me. At Queensland, they made studying interesting. Australian education taught me how to study without getting bored.

What was your proudest moment in college?

I tutored Chinese students and got the Best Tutor Award three times in a row at Queensland. I also felt very proud when I was awarded the PhD, as I was a bad student in school and no one expected me to earn a doctorate. My mother was highly supportive and I dedicated the degree to her.

Have you had any embarrassing moments in college?

Yes, there was a subject called engineering drawing. I didn’t like the subject and it was very boring. I could not clear the subject and had to write it twice. Finally I managed to pass, but that was an embarrassing experience.

How did you score points with the opposite gender?

My relationship with them was good. I treated girls and boys at the same level. I came from a boys school, but did not want to treat girls differently. We had a friendly rapport.

Was bunking a part of your college life?

I never bunked college. Anna University had a lot of freedom and we were lucky it was inside the city. We had free time in between classes. During this time we went out for movies and came back in time for the next session. So we had fun, and never had to bunk.

Did you have any rifts with professors? Why?

There were no rifts. I shared a good rapport with professors. We had a friendly relationship. We used to visit them at home for project discussions, met their families and it was all very informal. I never had any bad experiences.

Where did you hang out in college with friends?

Sathyam Cinemas was the usual hangout when I was in Chennai. In Australia, the university was situated near a lake, just outside the city. A bridge connected the city and the college. We always went for a walk on the bridge during our free time.

What extracurricular activities were you involved in?

I was active in the Computer Society of Anna University. We used to go to schools and teach them computer science. We used to teach government school teachers computer science in Tamil. I was a Navy Cadet in NCC. I also headed the Indian Students Association at University of Queensland.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Education> Edex / by Kaviya Sanjeevi – Chennai / August 05th, 2013