ATMA SHANTI

KAMALA LAKSHMINARAYANAN (June 16, 1934 - November 24, 2025)
Bharatanatyam dance icon Kamala Lakshminarayanan (Kumari Kamala as she was popularly known) passed away in the early hours of November 24, 2025 (IST) in California at her son's place. She was 91. A torch bearer of the Vazhuvoor bani, Kumari Kamala was the reason why many started learning Bharatanatyam. She brought respect to the profession and inspired a whole generation of women to make their daughters Bharatanatyam dancers.

As child prodigy Baby Kamala of the 1940s, she initially featured as a child dancer, reigning supreme for over three decades, making a mark in the cinema field also. Kamala worked in over 100 Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films in her career. She was trained in Kathak by Lacchu Maharaj and in Hindustani music by Shankar Rao Vyas. She later trained in Bharatanatyam under Kattumannarkoil Muthukumara Pillai and Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai. Discovered by filmmaker A.N. Kalyanasundaram Iyer, she made her debut in 'Valibhar Sangham' (1938). She made her Hindi debut with 'Jailor' (1938). Her breakthrough Tamil film was 'Jagathalapratapan' (1944). This was followed by some enchanting Bharatanatyam performances in AVM's 'Nam Iruvar' (1947). Kamala's Snake Dance in 'Nagalokam' is a favorite with rasikas. Besides, she played major roles in Tamil movies like 'Lavanya,' 'Konjum Salangai' and 'Sivaganga Seemai' and in Hindi films like 'Jwala.'

Between the 1940s and the 1970s, Kamala represented India at cultural festivals and events all over the world and performed before many world dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her coronation in 1953 and former U.S. President Eisenhower during his state visit to India in 1959.

Her first marriage to cartoonist R.K. Laxman ended in 1960. She later married T.V. Lakshminarayanan, an officer in the US army. In 1980, she moved to New York and started a classical dance school Shri Bharatha Kamalalaya. She received the Kalaimamani (1967), Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1968), Padma Bhushan (1970), E. Krishna Iyer Medal from the Sruti Foundation (1989), Platinum Jubilee Award from Madras Music Academy (2002) and National Heritage Fellowship (2010).

Kamala's disciples Ramaa Bharadvaj and her twin sister Uma Suresh pay tribute to her. Ramaa Bharadvaj has created 'Fragrant Petals: Kamala's Natyam' as a 3 episode video series.

"Kamala-akka was not merely a dancer; she was a living flame of the classical arts - radiant, precise, and timeless. She was the light that shaped my artistic journey and the presence that taught me what grace truly means. In every movement, she carried the weight of tradition and the lightness of divine grace. As a guru, she imparted discipline with love and artistry with devotion. She was fierce in her standards, yet tender in her guidance. She saw potential where we saw hesitation; she demanded excellence not out of rigidity, but because she wanted us to touch the divine the way she did. Every correction, every gesture, every story she shared was a blessing, something sacred. Ramaa and I were blessed and fortunate enough to learn under her gaze," writes Uma Suresh, on Facebook.

Kamala is survived by her sisters Vasanthi and Rhadha.

The dance architect
- S Janaki
From child prodigy to cultural icon, Kamala brought Bharatanatyam to the modern stage and inspired generations of dancers.

Kumari Kamala: The dancer who made Bharatanatyam respectable
- K Balakumar
In the history of Bharatanatyam, there should be a distinct 'before' and 'after' to the arrival of 'Kumari' Kamala.

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