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 Geeta Radhakrishna: A cultural ambassador of India - Vijay Shanker e-mail: vijaydance@gmail.com Photos: RK Menon April 14, 2025 Eminent Mohiniattam dancer and scholar Dr Geeta Radhakrishna Menon, left for her heavenly abode on 8th April in New Delhi after ailing for some time. She was 75 and is survived by her husband Radhakrishna Menon, daughter Radhika, brothers and sisters. Geeta was among the best Mohiniattam exponents of the country with several performances to her credit both in India and overseas. She was a prolific writer, dance teacher, choreographer and a motivational speaker, actively associated with the field of performing arts for more than five decades.  Geeta was born as the eldest daughter of Capt C.S Nair and Savithri Nair in Mumbai on 3rd August 1950. Her father was a military officer, mother was an accomplished singer, dancer and theatre actress. She sang for Geeta initially for several performances. Geeta had her formal education in defence schools known as Kendriya Vidyalayas. She was initiated to dance at a tender age, learning Bharatanatyam under Guru Venkatesh and started performing, while in Cochin and Coimbatore. Geeta completed her B.Sc from Mercy College in Palakkad, Kerala, and meanwhile started learning Mohiniattam at Kerala Kalamandalam in Cheruthuruthy under the able guidance of pioneer mentors Kalamandalam Kalyani Kutty Amma, wife of Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Kalamandalam Satyabhama. Her father's last transfer before retirement was in Mumbai. After arriving in Mumbai, Geeta completed her LLB from Government Law College and was qualified to become a lawyer but dance was her calling. Mridangam maestro and dance critic S.Santhanam advised her to concentrate more on Mohiniattam and stop performing Bharatanatyam as there were hardly any Mohiniattam dancers in Mumbai. Dr Kanak Rele was the only established name in Mohiniattam. She had evolved her own style of Mohiniattam, composed with the sopanam music by well-known lyricist and music composer Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. Tall, graceful, with large expressive eyes and a striking stage presence, Mohiniattam performances by Geeta created a great impact on the audience and the media as well, with rave reviews. R Gopala Krishnan, popularly known as RGK, assistant editor of Illustrated Weekly of India, Times of India publication, wrote an article on Mohiniattam in the Illustrated Weekly featuring Geeta prominently as a fine representative of this lyrical classical dance of Kerala, after witnessing her performance, organised by Vaitalik of Ameeta Bannerjee at the Tanjore hall of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. After several performances in different parts of India in the 1970's, a turning point in the career of Geeta came for the first time, when she was invited to perform in the Sanskrutik festival in UK, Switzerland and France in 1976, organised by Birendra Shankar on behalf of the Government of India, along with talented team of musicians - vocalist Sethumadhavan, mridangam, maddalam and edakka by KNP Nambisan, flute by Prabir Ghosh. Hindustani music vocalist Sunanda Pattnaik was also part of this group. Geeta strictly followed the 'bani' of Kerala Kalamandalam, besides the traditional repertoire of compositions of poet Irayimman Thampi and Swati Thirunal. Geeta is particularly credited for her solo dance dramas with "Ekaharya abhinaya". Her three major choreographies are Narayana Bhattatripad's 16th century Sanskrit classic 'Narayaneeyam', complete portrayal of the life sketch of Lord Krishna, Mary Magdalene from the Holy Bible and 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa' on Lord Ayyappa as Hari Hara putra. Narayana Bhattatripad was an ardent devotee of the Lord and was suffering from rheumatism, hence he could not lift his hand up but was determined to write the Narayaneeyam. Initially with lot of pain he started writing and eventually he completed the entire treatise and was surprised to realise that his hands were no more aching and he was free from his ailments, such is the power of the divine intervention. Although Mohiniattam is pre-dominated with sringara rasa, Geeta felt that it was Bhakti which was more important. In Geeta's performances, the audience was taken on a mystical journey that was both elevating and enlightening, creating 'rasa anubhuti' and taking you closer to godliness. The first performance of Narayaneeyam was held at the famous Guruvayur Temple in Kerala, subsequent to other performances in Nelluvai and other places. The musical composition of Narayaneeyam was done by Sivaramakrishnan, popularly known as Ganeshan.  Another major choreography of Geeta was Mary Magdalene of The Holy Bible; the Gospels reveal her to be of practical character. Origen and other early textual interpretations usually viewed her as distinct from the mystical Mary of Bethany, who anointed Jesus and wiped them with her hair and from the penitent woman whose sins Jesus pardoned for anointing him in a like fashion. The dramatic highlight of this dance drama is when all the people start throwing stones at Mary Magdalene, Jesus interrupts and asks, "Is there anyone who has not committed a sin? Only such a person has the right to throw stones." The people were dumbfounded and silent. When Geeta performed Mary Magdelene for the Soviet festival in Moscow, the audience was moved to tears, due to the powerful and intense portrayal of the character of Mary Magdalene, so the media reported, "Geeta moves Moscow to tears." I was thrilled to read the news in leading newspapers like Mid-day and other publications. In Mumbai, Geeta performed for Noopuradhwani Cultural Trust and established her Mohiniattam dance academy 'Mohiniatta Nritya Kalakshetra' and taught several dance aspirants, including her daughter Radhika and some of them are professionals today. Her third major choreography was 'Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa' on Lord Ayyappa, who is Hari Hara putra - the son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Geeta performed for several Ayyappa festivals all over India, with vocal support rendered by Prasanna Warrier and Sivaprasad. Geeta acquired her doctorate degree in dance with the thesis 'Narayaneeyam - Philosophy, Bhakti and Aesthetics', from Mumbai University. She received the senior fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and wrote two authoritative books on Mohiniattam, 'Mohiniattam Adavus' and 'Mohiniattam - dance of the enchantress.' Mohiniattam Adavus is one of its kind in which all the adavus are illustrated with drawings, a painstaking and meticulous work indeed, ideal for Mohiniattam students. Other books to her credit are 'Ananda Natana Tandavam' on Lord Shiva, 'Jai Jai Natana Ganesha,' 'Devi Mahatmayam' on the radiant goddess, book of poems 'Prakriti Nrityam', Jayadeva's Ashtapadis, book on Mahatma Gandhi etc. My salutations to the great cultural ambassador of India.  Vijay Shankar is a Kuchipudi and Kathakali exponent, teacher, bilingual journalist, arts critic and actor. Post your comments Please provide your name and email id along with your comment. All appropriate comments posted with name and email id in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
