|     |
|
| |
 e-mail: khokar1960@gmail.com 80 and more!Photos: Ashish KhokarOctober 21, 2025 1945: India wasn't even India but an assembly of kingdoms, some motely, some remotely controlled by the British. In this scenario, when struggle for freedom was at its peak, who would think of art, dance and higher learning in Bombay Presidency? One family from Tanjore. Or Thanjavur, as called colloquially. Sri Rajarajeswari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir gurus trudged a million bullock-cart miles those days to take their divine art far and wide. The history of the first families of Bharatanatyam dance is an unexplored area and much work needs to be done. These men and women and their children are to be respected as our national treasures because they gave their art freely, without often benefit or returns or rewards. In some countries like former USSR or Japan, classically trained artistes were higher pedestal than even royalty or rulers, film or TV stars! To the film capital of northern and western India - Bombay - came in 1945 an eminent nattuvanar family whose illustrious lineage went back to masters of Bharatanatyam for three centuries. The family legacy began with Thanjavur Venkatakrishna, who was an ace nattuvanar, who was followed by Veeraswamy Nattuvanar. It was the third generation nattuvanar Sri Subramanya who created a path for star Panchapakesha Nattuvanar, who was the Asthana Vidwan of Thanjavur and Ramanathapuram courts. The Maharajas of Baroda and Mysore, both honoured him too. Additionally gifted at abhinaya, he co-authored a book 'Abhinayam Navaneetham'. It was gurus of guru Kuppiah Pillai - the fifth generation Master - who helped shape up Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir. He created a compendium of 108 talas dubbed the "Kamala Chakram". His son-in-law Govindrajan Pillai with wife Karunambal physically founded the Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir in 1945. His sons Guru T.K. Mahalingam Pillai and Guru Kalyanasundaram Pillai took it to greater heights and today its 80th year (1945-2025) is being celebrated. They have the quiet, selfless support of Mythili Kalyanasundaram, guru Vasant Kumar, guru Vishwanath and the youngest of the family, 50, guru Harikrishna, a dynamic karta dharta of the institution that's a legend now not only in Mumbai but all of India. That's because of its teaching all equally, and happily: the farmer's daughter gets the same treatment and training as babus or netas. This school has produced some of the stars of film and dance like Travancore sisters; Nalini Jayant and later Vani-Meera Ganapathy, Malavika Sarukkai and so many. The number of productions too this school has created is mind boggling. Over two dozen full length dance dramas. Think of costumes, music, literature and this unique star dance school offers all under one roof, by one family. Gods took time in making them. If one was growing up in Bombay of yore, one either learnt Kathak or film dancing. Today the intermingling can be seen. Bollykathak! Bharatanatyam remained true to its form even within Bollywood with superstars like Vyjayantimala, Sasikala, Hema Malini, and Meenakshi Seshadri coming trained in form and not sullying by mixing. In this, the role of Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir is immense. Not only it maintained a bani but furthered it. Not only it helped create dancers of note, but it also created artistes. That's a big achievement. Anyone can teach items and dance; very few can teach values and maryada of the form. Here the personality of guru Kalyanasundaram "Chitappa" (to me) is inestimable. A warm hearted human full of humour, he easily makes friends and fans! Everyone is attracted to him for his most affectionate personality and when in class, he can be strict but never rude or down putting. His students come even if they have dropped out of class or stopped dancing. For them, he's the father figure of a way in life in art. His whole family revolves around art. Four daughters Kannagi, Vasuki, Bharathi and Sumathi and a son Harikrishna, who looks like a mischievous Krishna as his name goes but like Hari, he takes all worry away of organising, managing and distributing affectionate care to all. As an inheritor of the legacy now, he is at home in all modes: class, stage, management, teaching and reaching out. Add film making, music and more.  Harikrishna Kalyanasundaram  Special lamp The grand function at Shanmukhananda on eve of Dhanteras-Deepavali was so full of good artistic energy that it lit a thousand lamps. It even made an oil deepam on stage redundant but still ELECTRIFIED! Trust high-tech folks of Shanmukhananda to have created this unique gizmo but there's history behind it since many decades ago the Shanmukhananda Hall had burnt down and gutted, so it had to be shifted and built anew from scratch. Its knowledgeable and erudite President V. Shankar set the tone with a first rate account of the iconic (Kalyanasundaram) family and its contribution to the Mumbai dance and music scene. He is a speaker who speaks to point and never stretches audience patience. Riveting.  Aniesh Rajan, Dr.Sandhya Purecha, Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam, B. Kannan in hall full of rasikas The 13 generation head of the royal Maratha Tanjore Lineage, Srimanth Bhonsle Chatrapati chose Tamil to share the history and heritage of the form and true blue blood spoke softly, without arrogance of his station in life, presiding also over 90, read ninety temple trusts in the region. A stately persona matched with a scholarly disposition. Saraswati and Lakshmi rarely are to be found in the same house but he epitomised this. As did Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, always a value addition to any function in any city. Her calm, focused, stable manner of speech and stance in dance shows her lineage, life in art and love for craft of literature, music, films and dance. A complete artiste if there was one in India today, she is benevolent inside out. She also makes points of historical references that enhance perception and platforms of learning.  Guru Kalyanasundaram felicitating Dr. Sandhya Purecha Dr. Sandhya Purecha, the current chair of SNA, has shown her ability in giving a dull institution a dynamic path. Her term has activated and energised the performing arts scene. A dancer-acharya of note herself, she brings dignity and depth to any public domain she decorates. Her main thrust was how Mumbai has benefitted from this family and its contribution. Director from the Union Culture Ministry, Aniesh Rajan is the flavour of the season, for his potential art of giving grants and scholarships, support and help promote the mission of the ministry. Since he trained in dance too, he is a value addition and despite being from the IRS services - "a service, no one generally wants to invite" he quipped - and living a life full of humour as a chief prop. It was nice to see a babu showing concern for 92 children and youth that waited in the wings to show their training. That's because he learnt dance, so knows what goes on behind the scenes. Wish every babu is sensitized to learn some art form before coming to the services, especially in arts and cultural field. It is time India had a CCS - Cultural Cadre Services. When there's Post and Railways; Customs and Irrigation, why not the arts? This will give employment to many who love the arts but find it financially incompatible with needs and demands of times we live in today. It was a sheer delight to see the five and seven and ten years old, all dressed in shining costumes and jewellery, entering the stage with no trepidation as often grownups do. They were bindas and just wanted to dance. Their seniors too shone at their own level. It was a feast for the eyes and senses. Manotripti. That's the one best word to describe the whole function.  90+ shishyas What is dance about? Seeing them all on stage, one reiterated dance also teaches team work, discipline, decorum, even how to exit from stage. The main items were appetisers as long time had gone in speeches so the dance offering coming late in the day, had to be limited to showing training, team work and technology that shared a first rate film on the family and its history and heritage. Made not by some high tech studio of Mumbai but our own Harikrishna Kalyanasundaram. The film's opening message of head of Kanchi Peetham was holy. The film itself was crisp and commentary tight; it was praised by Padma Subrahmanyam herself on stage. That the daughter of great Tamil Telugu film-maker called DIRECTOR Subrahmanyam said so amounts to a Padma award! It had pace and poise, content and context. All in all, seeing all generations come and sit four hours in Mumbai and enjoy the evening showed how great gurus and their art is a gift of the gods and how selfless service makes it shine.  Critic, connoisseur, historian, author, artivist, archivist, administrator and more - editor, columnist and mentor Ashish Khokar remains true to his muse. More on attendance-india.com Responses * Trust Khokarji to meticulously delienate legacies of the Gurus representing Indian divine art forms. The instant article is one such from his overflowing repertoire on the subject. Yes, it's extremely important to continue the Guru-Shishya parampara to ensure our traditional heritage thrives amid challenges. The article succinctly throws light on a family dedicated to the cause of the divine art form. - MV Krishna (Oct 23, 2025) * Very beautifully written about the birth of the institute, its legacy and golden era. It's worth the read. Thank you, sir, for this enriching article. - Archana Chetana (Oct 22, 2025) Post your comments Please provide your name and email id when you use the Anonymous/blog profile to post a comment. All appropriate comments posted with name and email id in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
