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Enchanted by Mohiniyattom
G. S. PAUL
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Kalamandalam Leelamma, who bagged the Kalamandalam award for Mohiniyattom, has widened the scope of Mohiniyattom without deviating from its framework.
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Photo: S. Mahinsha
Multidimensional: Kalamandalam Leelamma.
The year 2007 has been an eventful year in the career of Kalamandalam Leelamma. After she retired as head of the department of dance, Kerala Kalamandalam, in June, a post she had held for 32 years, she was reappointed as dean of the same faculty of t
he deemed university that came into being in the same month. In October, the same institution selected her for its prestigious award for Mohiniyattom.
“The award for Mohinyattom is more significant since the dance form that had almost become extinct was revived in Kalamandalam,” said the soft-spoken and publicity-shy Leelamma.
A recipient of the senior research fellowship of the Department of Culture, Delhi, Leelamma belongs to that rare genre of dancers for whom age does not seem to be a barrier for performances. She is also trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. Small wonder then that she was the Sanskrit university’s choice to head the department of Mohinyattom that was started in 1995.
A member on the panel of experts of ICCR, Leelamma has been honoured with numerous accolades. Her disciples have been instrumental in popularising Mohinyattom across the globe.
Text on Mohiniyattom
Her book, yet to be titled and published, is likely to be the first text for students of Mohiniyattom.
A native of Mattakkara, near Kottayam, Leelamma’s association with Kalamandalam began in 1968. As a child, she was trained in Kerala Natanam and she gave many performances under her guru Chellamma’s guidance.
As advised by a well-wisher, she then applied for admission to Kalamandalam. Although she was nervous when she appeared for her interview before veterans such as Guru Gopinath and Bhasakara Rao, her talent ensured her a seat in Kalamandalam.
Reminisced Leelamma: “As the youngest and the only daughter of nine children, I was the darling of my parents. To bid farewell to them was very painful but it was the zeal for dance that motivated me to join Kalamandalam.”
A team of affectionate teachers and the salubrious environment on the banks of the Nila turned Kalamandalam into a ‘home away from home’ for her.
Unforgettable was the four years of arduous but comprehensive training under maestros Bhaskara Rao, Sathyabhama, Chandrika, Leelamani, Ramaswamy, Vasudeva Panicker and Sukumari Narendra Menon.
Leelamma’s days in Kalamandalam as a student witnessed the evolution and perfection of the ‘Kalamandalam style’ and a spurt in choreographies in Mohiniyattom.
Kalamandalam Sathyabhama gave shape to numerous novel choreographies that included the varnam ‘Danisamajendra’ in Todi, ‘Chandalabikshuki,’ ‘Kannaki,’ ‘Nagila,’ the Dhanyasi varnam and many padams. Leelamma embarked on a number of projects and choreographies when she took over the department from her guru Sathyabhama in 1997.
In this connection, Leelamma’s contribution in enriching the repertoire of Mohiniyattom by choreographing cholkettus in ragamalika and talamalika and quite a few dance dramas has been epochal.
Among them ‘Dasavatharam,’ ‘Magdalana Mariam,’ ‘Kachadevayani,’ ‘Rugmangadacharitam’ and ‘Kalyanasougandhikam’ deserve special mention. ONV’s ‘Ujjayani,’ her latest, won rave reviews all over the country.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
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