On a song

At 80, senior entrepreneur Nagamani makes a herb-infused oil and has two music albums to her credit. We met her recently and came away charmed. Here's her story.

Nagamani, 80, welcomes me to her home in Ulsoor, Bangalore, wearing a beautiful hand woven Bailou saree. It's simple and elegant, much like the lady herself, exuding a quiet beauty and grace you wish to possess when you reach her age.

Mani aunty, as she is fondly known, has been a member A Hundred Hands, a nonprofit trust that aims to introduce and promote handmade crafts, art and homemade products. Located in Bangalore, they hold an exhibition every year. Mani aunty?s oil used to be popular in their lot.

Ruby red in colour and rich in density, the oil has a combination of herbs infused in it and is said to be extremely good for the hair and in some cases, even the skin. We asked Nagamani how she started making it. My aunt learnt it from someone and passed it down to me. The formula comes from Kumbakonam in Kerala, she explains. This was in the early 60s, when Nagamani was a busy mother to two bright young daughters and family was her priority. So she ended up using it and discovered how good it was and started making it for personal use. The recipe is more than a 100 years old and is great to maintain strong and lustrous hair. The ingredients in the oil reduce hairfall and enable hair growth.

The herbal oil being made

While she never made the oil commercially earlier, when Nagamani's husband passed away in 1994, encouraged by her daughters and supported by her maid of 34 years, she decided to give the Herbal Oil venture a go under the name Roots & Shoots.

Sadly one of her daughters passed away few years ago, plunging Nagamani into grief and darkness. Achala, her other daughter, says the venture was therapeutic for her mother and helped her to deal with her grief and shock.

Encouragement also came in the early days from Mary, a salon owner who used the herbal oil and found it beneficial for her clients. I would supply to her once in 6 months,? Nagamani says. She was also introduced to A Hundred Hands, which helped her broaden her scope.

What makes Mani aunty special, apart from being the lady behind a very good herbal creation is her strength and poise. She

Nagamani at her home.

Photograph: Silver Talkies

comes from a lineage of strong women, and despite the ups and downs life has thrown her way, has managed to emerge stronger. She is also someone who followed her passion in the older years of her life, especially in music.

She has recorded two Kannada albums, one devotional and the other romantic, at the age of 70. Close your eyes and hear her sing. She sounds like a jubilant young girl singing a romantic duet.

Despite learning music as a young student and having had stalwarts like C Aswath as her teacher, Nagamani stayed away from music for a large part of her life, because she was too busy being a wife and mother. Her husband was a well known lawyer and Nagamani gave her family all her time and energy.

Mani aunty with her daughter Achala.

The dreams she may have had, of pursuing a career in music, were realized years later with the help of her daughters. What is amazing is that in 2003, she developed a tumour and recorded her Kannada album Thara Thara while undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Today an active social life and her herbal oil venture, along with regular practice on her Tanpura keeps Nagamani occupied, despite the highs and lows that life has put her through. I am never tired of playing the Tanpura. she says smiling.

Her daughter Achala, who moved back to India to support her mother says there is no keeping this active senior entrepreneur down. She still goes to the club every evening, has an active group and speaks her mind.

Mani aunty's oil is retailed in Bangalore at Fresh Earth Organics & Ambara. You can also visit her Facebook page Roots & Shoots and contact her to buy it.

It?s amazing to see her fulfilling all her dreams after years of being a devoted mother and wife, losing a child and going through an ailment. Her message to other seniors: Get a chance to do what you like, it's the greatest gift.