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Rooting for the ‘real’ Mohiniyattom

KOCHI: For Deepti Omchery Bhalla it is like homecoming. The renowned Mohiniyattom dancer told a news conference before her performance at the ‘Vasantholsavam’ on Friday that she had never severed links with Malayalam, her mother tongue.

And that is precisely why she is disturbed at attempts to work on rhythmic aspects of Mohiniyattom instead of preserving its lasya element. “This must be because of the dancer failing to understand the literature,” she reasons.

Also, she is against film actors, who are not trained dancers, presenting short versions of Mohiniyattom. For youth festivals too, students are taught ‘prize-winning’ pieces.

Dr. Bhalla has every right to complain. Born to a family of artistes, she was trained in classical dance and music. She started with the International Centre for Kathakali, New Delhi, where she learnt Kathakali for 12 years from the likes of Punnathur Madhava Panikkar and Sadanam Balakrishnan.

Then, Kathakali was treated as a group performance. This made her switch to Mohiniyattom. And here, she could not have got a better teacher than Kalamandalam Kalyani Kuttiamma.

Her mother Leela Omchery, renowned Carnatic musician, initiated her into music. She also picked up lessons from the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi. She did her post-graduation, M.Phil and doctorate in Carnatic music from there. The student in her was not satisfied with this. She sought out masters like Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan and Dagar Brothers for lessons in Hindustani music.

Now, she is teaching Mohiniyattom. She was told by her teacher Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma that the greatest dakshina she could give was passing on the knowledge. And she is doing that. Gracefully.

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