MALESPEAK
'Art alleviates sorrow'
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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Vijay Madhavan agrees that male dancers need more support, but believes that if the product is excellent, there will be a demand for it.
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PHOTO: S. S. KUMAR
‘We are custodians of the art: Vijay Madhavan.
"As a child, I was dancing all the time," laughs Vijay Madhavan, who has just quit his job as a software product analyst to turn fulltime Bharatanatyam artist.
Vijay has family support
for what remains an unusual
pursuit for a man in our society.
His parents insisted
on academic pursuits, but
nourished his artistic potential.
His mother made him
believe that Bharatanatyam
was a precious gift. Learning
the basics from a student of
Chitra Visveswaran at the
age of 12, the boy found himself
a sishya of Chitra herself.
The guru encouraged
him to perform early, with
small roles in her productions,
much before formal
arangetram in 1993. "Whenever
I got a cutcheri, I
cried, didn't feel I was good
enough," Vijay recalls.
A university rank holder
(B.A. Zoology), Vijay took
Molecular Biology with Information
Science in M.A, as
his father said there was `no
future in the fine arts.' A few
months of doctoral research,
and a stint as a lecturer widened
his bearings, before he
took up a regular office job.
"No ambitions of becoming
the company's vice president.
At all times, I wanted
to work in such a way as to
keep my dancing alive."
Fitting disciple
Straddling two equally
demanding worlds was exhausting
business. "You
need vairagyam, determination.
Do you know, I danced
with Chitra akka the day before
my public exam? Today,
my disciples announce
they can't come today as
they must go for math tuition
or computer class. I
didn't dare to say that to
Chitra akka. Whenever she
gave me time, I was there,
whatever she wanted me to
do I did."
How difficult was it to
find a masculine style while
being groomed by a woman?
"Chitra Akka wouldn't allow
me to copy her, but showed
me how the same movement
or mudra should be done by
a man. She said I was her
weapon to show the world
that her style was suitable
for a male a dancer. Even
now, I seek her guidance in
every aspect of life and art."
The guru did not have to
beat or scold. "If she got
angry, I just broke down.
Sometimes, she covered up
for me when her musician
husband Visweswaran
pointed out mistakes."
Girls far outnumbered
boys in the dance class. But
Vijay had the good fortune
to duet with his guru (`Nrityashrinkala')
as also play
Bhikshu Anando to her
`Chandalika' and Siva to her
Parvati (`Devi Ashtarasamalika').
The biggest challenge was
to portray all the men surrounding
Chitra's Draupadi
- Pandavas, Kauravas as also
the poet Subramanya
Bharati. Vijay says with
pride, "Our style stands
apart; it is music-driven. We
dance out the gamakams
and sangatis. If you don't
know music, sorry, you can't
dance our way."
With strong principles
about not getting involved
with co-dancers or disciples,
Vijay was delighted with a
`properly arranged marriage'
to Carnatic vocalist
Sumitra Vasudev, a gain in
many ways. "Thank God, we
were on parallel tracks, with
individual identity intact,
not encroaching on each
other's areas."
Vijay wants to ensure that
Sumitra is not pressured to
contribute financially, but
left free to explore her music
with the depth expected
of a disciple of Vidushi Vedavalli.
The couple decided
from the start not to work
together because, "In our
society, to sing for the dance
is to be seen as a second rate
musician."
Benefits of teaching
His 12-year-old dance
school Rechita Nrityalaya
has now given Vijay the security
to focus exclusively
on Bharatanatyam. "In
teaching, I get to understand
my own potential, it
enriches my experience."
True, male dancers rarely
become successful soloists
though always in demand
for ensemble work. But Vijay
does not think that male
dancers cannot be crowdpullers.
"I get a good audience,
I also get SOS bookings.
Somebody cancels and
I fill in," he laughs.
Vijay also launched the
Dance-at-your-Doorstep
project for performers to
showcase their work in the
city's dance schools, thinking,
"Things won't change
because I grumble. Instead,
I can try to make things happen."
He agrees that male
dancers need more support,
but believes that if the product
is excellent, there will be
a demand for it. To promote
quality is to promote not
only the self, but the art.
"We are custodians of this
art form, we don't own it."
Society, the Government,
rasikas and artists must all
take responsibility to preserve
this heritage.
He ends with a wistful
smile. "Is there anyone in
this world without sorrows,
regrets, problems? If I yield
to depression, I fail as an
artist. After all, art is created
to alleviate our sorrows."
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