’I felt like Amma to the whole of Maharashtra’

There she was, standing in a neatly-draped silk saree, breaking into a warm, toothy smile in a simple Pune house that was once home to India's most famous hockey exponent Dhanraj Pillai.

Andalamma Pillay, Pune

Mother to: Arjuna Awardee hockey player Dhanraj Pillay

There she was, standing in a neatly-draped silk saree, breaking into a warm, toothy smile in a simple Pune house that was once home to India's most famous hockey exponent Dhanraj Pillai. Andalamma Pillay, a mother of five, got married in 1960, when she was just 14 years old. Originally from from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, she was born into a working class family. She was the third in a family of four sisters and one brother.

Pic/Jignesh Mistry

"We had a normal but blissful childhood. We weren't financially sound but that didn't stop us from being happy and content. At home, all five of us were treated equally. And that is what I have applied in my life too, with my children," she says.

Andalamma's relationship with sports goes back a long way. Her brother is a popular name in wrestling in Jabalpur. "So, when my kids opted for sports, I was more than happy that they hadn't chosen a traditional career. Hockey and football are two sports that have given this family name and fame." That is understandable, given that India brought the Asian Games trophy home after 32 years, in 1998, under Dhanraj's captaincy. This was the turning point in their lives, says Andalamma.

"It was like reaching the zenith. I hadn't imagined we'd get there ,but thanks to my husband Nagalingam and my children's efforts, we were on a constant high. People began recognising me on the streets and love was showered on us. I felt like I was the Amma (mother) of all of Pune and Maharashtra!"

Fifteen days after her wedding, Andalamma and her husband moved to Khadki, a city neighbourhood of Pune. "This has been my home ever since. Now, after more than 50 years here, I proudly call myself a Maharashtrian who loves Zunka Bhakar more than Kadhi Rice. I am also a huge fan of old Hindi songs. Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar... ah!"

Her carefree chatter is evidence that she wasn't a strict mother. "I have given them freedom to do and live as they please. But that we stay together is crucial. Whenever there was a match, the entire family would sit together and cheer. And my pounding heart would wish for their victory."