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 The first Nithya Kalyani Award - SK Venugopal e-mail: venugopalsk@hotmail.com July 5, 2023 Praana Academy of Performing Arts is an institution founded 8 years ago by Manimekhala, a dedicated Mohini Attam performer, teacher, and a Pranik healing therapist. In the month of May 2022, it was made a charitable trust with Manimekhala as Chairperson. Mattannoor Sankarankutty Marar (Chairman, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy) is the chief patron of this trust which has its base at Thalasseri. Other trustees are Cheruthazham Kunjiraman Marar, Director of Panchavadyam Trust, New Delhi, and Kathakali acharyan Kottakkal Rajmohan. Praana Academy imparts training to discerning students in Mohini Attam and organises interactive seminars, workshops, and cultural programs to spread awareness about the various classic art forms of Kerala like Kathakali, Koodiyattam etc, besides promoting the traditional percussion instrument players of Kerala. Praana Fest is the banner in which these programs are conducted.  Most Recently, Manimekhala under the auspices of Praana instituted an award in memory of the doyen of Mohini Attam, known as the 'mother of Mohini Attam', Late Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma and gave it an appropriate name 'Nithya Kalyani award for excellence in Mohini Attam'. The first award most deservedly was conferred on Kala Vijayan, a very senior Mohini Attam guru and daughter of Kalyanikkutty Amma. The award ceremony was held at Melpathoor Auditorium, Guruvayur, on the 30th of May 2023 at the first anniversary celebration of the trust. I must say the very thought of instituting an award in the name of the doyen needs to be appreciated as this was most surprisingly the first ever worthwhile effort being made to commemorate the life and times of a great legend by any entity be it from private or government sector. Kalyanikutty Amma was enrolled at Kerala Kalamandalam as a student by none other than Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon. She used to write poems for magazines etc even then and had received award from Vallathol himself. After completing her studies at Kalamandalam as early as in 1940, she was to be taken in as a staff at the institution, but due to a prevalent rule at that time, both husband and wife could not be accommodated as staff and hence she and her husband, the famous Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair Asan, who was later conferred with Padma Shri, left Kalamandalam and joined Guru Gopinath's dance school in Thiruvananthapuram. She had a long stint there, as also at Mrinalini Sarabhai's Darpana in Ahmedabad. Later, both husband and wife started their own institute called 'Kerala Kalalayam' in Thrippunithura, which is now being managed by her daughter Kala Vijayan and her son. Not forgetting the humongous contributions of Swathi Thirunal Maharaja and Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon in uplifting the dance form Mohini Attam from obscurity, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma is the one who toiled to give Mohini Attam its due status as a complete classical dance form by incorporating proper 'adavus', classifying them into groups, designing a proper costume, making a concert format etc. It was at the insistence of Vallathol Narayana Menon, in the year 1958, that she took up this great challenge and fulfilled it successfully. Many renowned exponents of Mohini Attam took short term and long-term training under the great Guru herself and some through video recordings of her works did pursue the task of popularising the dance form in their own capacities. Some of them later became Padma awardees. However, for whatever reasons it may be, the doyen never received such awards or recognitions for her contributions during her lifetime or later. Her alma mater Kerala Kalamandalam also did not care enough to commemorate the doyen for her supreme sacrifices in shaping such a beautiful dance form, probably due to certain differences they had with her on the hairdo she stubbornly argued for. The administration of Kerala Kalamandalam went ahead with the big change introducing the sideways 'konda' to make it distinctive Kerala style. Later many of her disciples took her consent and changed over to the new hairdo in order to be officially recognized. Kalyanikutty Amma never stopped anyone from following this new hair style, but her daughters, granddaughters and their students continued to adorn the traditional hairdo in their performances, for she had strong convictions about the technical reasons for the same. After all she knew that the hairdo alone is not that critical, but on principles she stood by it. It is the grace that matters and the 'nilavus,' 'adavus' and 'chuzhippus' that differentiate a style and hence she did not have any problems whatsoever with some of her renowned disciples following the new hairdo. However, this difference in views between the legend and those in power controlling the dance form, apparently remained unresolved and with the result, her glorious contributions remain less talked about. Under these circumstances, Praana Academy coming forward to institute an award for excellence in Mohini Attam in the name of Kalyanikutty Amma is indeed a very positive step in the right direction. The idea of honouring Guru Kala Vijayan with the first 'Nithya Kalyani Award' speaks volumes of Praana's in-depth sense of justice. Who else other than this septuagenarian qualifies for this selection, being an outstanding performer of her times, a great Guru who has authored books like 'Mohini Attam Ariyendathellam', a complete reference book for discerning students of Mohini Attam. A choreographer credited with more than 100 original choreographies, she has authored and composed many works in Mohini Attam including 'Sapthams'. I sincerely congratulate Praana Academy of Performing Arts for the gesture and I hope that the 'Nithya Kalyani Award' would become one of the most popular and prestigious awards instituted ever in honouring Mohini Attam performers and gurus.  S.K. Venugopal is a businessman in the field of Engineering projects, but also a singer, composer, accredited artist in Light Music at All India Radio, auditioned and graded member of panel of speakers in Films Division of India, associated with Mohiniattam for over 4 decades as accompanying musician and music composer. |
