1. Vazhuvoor special Sruti.Small

E - BOOK EDITION E - Issue 10 VAZHUVOOR RAMIAH PILLAI Sruti July 2012

INDIA'S PREMIER MAGAZINE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

VAZHUVOOR

RAMIAH PILLAI

Natyacharya - Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai A Creative Master In Traditional Mould Part I

pril 1945. India was still under was chosen by Kalki R. Krishnamurthi, British rule. A dance arangetram Anandhi's father. The music for the song tobacco. It appeared as though he was

was composed by S.V. Venkatraman. planning to teach hereafter only such of was in progress on Tamil New Year's those students who would bring him day in Mylapore, Madras. Bharatanatyam The song was sung by M.S. Subbu- lakshmi. The dance was choreographed such wide publicity. Ramiah Pillai, you was then gaining new ground and there have certainly earned a name! Smart was a good crowd by Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai, who also After performing various traditional wielded the cymbals. you are indeed!" Rao's observation was most astute. In items, the two giris making the debut If he hadn't already, Ramiah Pillai those days girls belonging to the elite danced to the song Aduvome pallu padu- must have realized that, in a combination families of Madras wanted to learn Bha- vome, a patriotic song by Subrahmania of new dances based on fresh themes and ratanatyam from Ramiah Pillai, or rather Bharati. It was an immediate sensation. Tamil songs and dancers drawn from reputable families, he had a foolproof their mothers wanted them to do so. While the line 'Sangu konde vetri Using this to his advantage, very soon uduvome'-we shall proclaim victory formula for success. What the girls did Ramiah Pillai established himself firmly blowing the conch-was being sung in on this occasion, in a sense, was also to in the art world. Hemamalini, daughter the background, in the raga Mand, the blow the victory conch for their guru of the senior police officer C.K. girls moved to the front of the stage and, Ramiah Pillai. Vijayaraghavan ; Hema, daughter of arching backwards, they portrayed The critics were full of praise for C.A. Ramakrishnan I.C.S. ; Vijaya, through gestures the blowing of the vic- tory conch. The audience was thrilled Ramiah Pillai's achievement. One of daughter of Ramakrishnan's brother them, E. Krishna Iyer, who had toiled C.A. Subramaniam ; Sarala, daughter of beyond words. hard from the mid-20's to save classical T.S. Duraiswamy of the TVS family ; The debutantes that evening were dance from being killed and who had Vyjayantimala, daughter of Vasundara

Anandhi and Radha. The particular song significantly contributed to its revival, Devi-these were some who learnt

Ramiah Pillai was born to Parthiban and wrote : dance from Ramiah Pillai at this time.

"Their [Anandhi-Radha's] exposition The cars belonging to their families Bhagyamma on 24 December 1910 in Vazhu- voor. He lost his father when he was quite of Bharati's song Aduvome pallu padu- would wait for hours outside his home.

young and was groomed by his maternal known as Manicka Nattuvanar, struggle later achieved, Ramiah Pillai with whom he stayed in Mayavaram (now uncle, vome in duet was so vivacious and What the satyagrahis of the freedom

inspiring that it carried the audience off their feet, especially when they showed attained without any sacrifice on his part. known as Myladuturai) for some years. He the gesture of blowing the conch of vic- He rode in cars with a police escort moved to Madras in 1938, mainly to train

training Bharatanatyam dancers for the dance tory and freedom .... The reason for the The police van would pick him up and actresses to dance in films but he started excellence of the girls' natya is to be also drop him back after his tuition to theatre also. Two years from now he will be completing sought not merely in their innate apti- Hemamalini Vijayaraghavan. Even if he was late for his classes of his other disci- 50 years of service as guru, nattuvanar and tude and talents but in the genius of the ples, he would always be on time for her choreographer in Madras where his son Vaz- nattuvanar who trained them. It speaks classes, although she did not-obviously huvoor R. Samraj now presides over the volumes to the credit of Mr. Ramiah Pil- Vazhuvoorar Classical Bharatanatya Art Cen- lai of Vazhuvoor, the nattuvanar who could not-perform the dances he had

tre established by the maestro. has given his best to the girls and com- choreographed using patriotic songs, like

bined in them precision in rhythm and Aduvome. Ramiah Pillai has travelled all over India conducting recitals of his disciples who Even before these dance aspirants include many who have been prominent in variety and artistry in adavu jati patterns and grace and refinement at every step." became his disciples however, Ramiah the field for many years. The Bharathi Sangam recognized Ramiah Rasikamani Chidambaranatha Muda- Pillai already had a star student in Baby Kamala. In the early 1940's, she was a Pillai's patriotism in choreographing and pre- liar wrote in Kalki : rising star. She had initially learnt Bhara- senting on the dance stage such freedom songs of Subrahmania Bharati as Aaduvome "I am all praise for Natyacharya Vaz- tanatyam under Muthukumara Pillai and

pallu paduvome, when the poet's work had huvoor Ramiah Pillai's knack in gauging made her debut in 1939 when she was

been proscribed by the British. It presented th: children's mentality and potential but six years old. She had also learnt him with a merit certificate and a silver and in instilling in them, with gentleness Kathak from Lacchu Maharaj. She had shield. and encouragement, the nuances of the danced in the film Ram Rajya. She was

Other honours received by Ramiah Pillai art. Ramiah Pillai has introduced a new a twinkling little star already. And it was include the title of Natya Kala Kesari" (1948) genre in the world of dance. He has cho- she who put Ramiah Pillai on the road and the Sangeet Natak Akademi's award reographed exquisitely the Bharathiyar to fame and fortune, by becoming his (1966) and the title of 'Isai Perarignar' con- ferred in 1961 by the Tamil Isal Sangam of song Aduvome pallu paduvome, introduc- disciple and dancing all over India under

Madras. He also received the President's ing jati-s, adavu-s and abhinaya." his baton. By the mid-40's, the Vazhu-

award of "Padma Sri' Editor Srinivasa Rao wrote voor cult was well-established and

Ramiah Pillai has served on the committees Ramiah Pillai had eclipsed many an old- of both the central Sangeet Natak Akademi Naradar : in

"It looks as though [Ramiah Pillai] time guru in popularity. and the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Man- ram. He was active in the latter even from the has decided to continue canvassing the But it was not as though Ramiah Pillai time it was known as the Sangeeta Nataka elite and win laurels for himself. When I himself brought little to the winning Sangam and for some years served as its Vice saw him at Mylapore the other day, ticket. He brought to bear on his endea- President. He received the title of Kala Sikhamani from it. scated on stage, he seemed to be as full of happiness as his mouth was with vours as a choreographer and teacher a 18 great family heritage, an aptitude and a

willingness to undertake research, an ability to adapt and innovate, a deep commitment, great diligence, strict discipline, and a sense of humility mixed with piety. The family heritage apparently goes back several centuries. "The Vazhuvoor tradition has a hoary past," says Ramiah Pillai. We remember reading an article in which there is mention of the exist- ence of copper plates attesting to the Vazhuvoor family's prominence in the dance field. When we ask him about it, he recalls that the late T.N. Ramachan- dran, of the Archaelogical Department, once told him : "You must see the stone inscriptions in the Vazhuvoor temple." The story behind the reported copper plates and stone inscriptions is this. One of Ramiah Pillai's ancestors had taught dance to Princess Kuntavi of the royal family. In appreciation, the king had offered to gift some acres of land to him. At an Anandhi-Radha recital Even though this gesture was in confor- mity with the practice in those times, the 'malar' of the Tamil Isai Sangam of stone inscription attesting to the tuition guru had respectfully declined the offer, Madras, Professor P. Sambamoorthi had nor the copper plates can be located. fearing that, if he did accept it, his also stated that stone inscriptions relating But, as we talk to Ramiah Pillai about family's progress in the arts field would to this event could be found in the his ancestors, we feel the vibrations of a be affected. He had therefore requested Vazhuvoor temple. great parampara or tradition handed that the royal patron instead gift the land to the temple of Gnanasabhesa in Vazhu- We find later that, although there are down from one generation to the next.

voor. The king had complied. some sculptures in the Vazhavoor temple Ramiah Pillai's eyes brighten as he which are said to depict this ancestor talks about it. He who has been sitting Narrating this story in the 1961-62 teaching dance to Kuntavi, neither a hunched and tired all this while, sits up

Vazhuvoor : A Deserted kattu-s of the todayamangalam come to of it, the visitor suspects he can still hear Village mind as the visitor looks around and links the sounds of music-the tinkling of ankle

Vazhuvoor is about eight kilometres what is seen with what is sung. The presid- bells, the tat-tat-tat of the thattukazhi, the soft beats of the mridangam and the sweet away from Myladuturai and set amidst the ing deity is also known as Gnanasabesar.

lush green of Tanjavur distriet's farm M.K. Karuppiah, an employee of the voice of a singer-from within the house,

lands. It has a temple and a temple tank, temple, gives the following information. so strong is the association of ideas. Recal-

both of a size impressively large for a small Vazhuvoor is a holy place sanctified by the ling the story of his ancestors narrated by

village. The contrast is heightened by the appearance of the Lord as Gajasamhara- Ramiah Pillai, the visitor also sees, in the

fact that there are hardly any people murthi to vanquish an asura who took the mind's eye, the figures of Samu Nattu- vanar and Manicka Nattuvanar, their fore- around. The village area surrounding the form of an elephant. The temple dates back temple is virtually deserted, reminding the heads smeared with ash, their top cloths to the 11th century. A copy of the sthala tied around their waists, their hands visitor of Goldsmith's poignant description purana is not currently available. There is of a deserted Irish village. A once well- a stone inscription attesting to the gift of crossed before their chests, their heads bowed, coming out of the front door to peopled village, like many others which land to the temple by the then king, but similarly boasted of flourishing cultural there is no stone cut concerning the teach- offer worship to the temple deities being

activities, has lost a large percentage of its ing of dance to a royal princess by Ramiah taken in procession in front of their house.

inhabitants to the urban centres. Pillai's ancestor. A 1984 'Masi Magam' festival brochure A villager points to a 'tope'-a grove of The temple has a large prakara or yard. The stone sculptures are lovely. Paintings he hands the visitor reveals that Vazhu- trees-which encompasses a small shrine

on the wall illustrate incidents from the voor Ramiah Pillai and his family continue for Bala Murugan and laments: "That used

sthala purana or the narrative of mytho- to maintain links with their ancestral vil- to belong to them [Ramiah Pillai's family]

lage, despite having left it years ago. In but, alas, they have sold it and moved historical events pertaining to the temple. that year, Jayanthi Rajagopal, a disciple of away." The presiding deity is Veeratteswaran and his consort is Elankilainayaki. In the Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai, had given a reci- Not only 'them' but all the other artist-

todayamangalam traditionally offered by tal at the festival. families have deserted Vazhuvoor where,

the Vazhuvoor school of dance, they are in the recollections of Ramiah Pillai, a

respectively referred to as Krittivaseswara Ramiah Pillai's ancestral home remains number of artists once lived and pursued intact. It is an ordinary house with a slop- their vocation with devotion to the Lord and Balakurambika. The lyrics and sollu- ing roof of red tiles. But standing in front and reverence for tradition. 19

and begins to talk spiritedly. Now and again he falters with emotion and tears well up in his eyes. He speaks first about his ancestral village and then about his grandfather Samu Nattuvanar and his uncle Manicka Nattuvanar, all with real reverence : "First I shall tell you about my village. It escaped the fury of pralaya [the great deluge] and is hence called Vazhuvoor [Vazhuviya oor-the village that sur- vived]. The village has existed through four yugas [eons]. In the sthala purana, it is referred to as Gnanapuri and Suddha- puri also. The deity of our village is Gnanasabhesar." He has a simple faith in puranic lore and talks of the four yugas casually as though they span just 40 years. In a voice tremulous because of age and fatigue, he sings the todaya- mangalam which he has presented at the beginning of thousands of recitals con- ducted by him : Jaya Suddha Puri Vasa! Jaya Maha Gnana Sabhesa! Jaya Gaja Samhaaresa! Jaya Krittivaasesa! Jaya!Jaya!" "In the evening the arati ritual would be performed for the Gajasamhara- Ramiah Pillai & his guru Manickam murthy," he explains. "This todaya- mangalam would be sung at that time responds. In these jati-s, there are sylla- and the rhythms of the suddamaddalam and tandava jati-s would be recited. bles-beejakshara-s-which have the would make even a person with no It would be fantastic. It would create an ffect of mantra-s. There is a lot of dif- knowledge of these enjoy it all the same. illusion of Gajasamharamurthy actually ference between these jati-s and the doing the tandava. There are distinct natya jati-s. The year I was awarded the "I have a cough and I get breathless,

phrases for tandava jati-s recited for the title of Isai Perarignar by the Tamil Isai but 1 shall recite it now nevertheless

Lord's dance. There are various forms of Sangam, I recited these tandava jati-s at [Recites] :

Siva tandava-s such as dwadasa tanda- the Pann research conference. The audi- Tam tam tam kita thaka thakita vam, sapta tandavam and shodasa tan- ence must have been a thousand strong. kitathakita davam. Dance would be performed All the oduvars who were present gave Tam tam tam kita thaka thakita when the deity was taken out in proces- me a standing ovation. kitathakita sion. You might have seen this in Tiru- varur. In Chidambaram also, during the "At the temple, these jati-s were not Thaka ganga taddheem ganga tad- recited by a single individual. The elders dheem Margazhi festival, tandava jati-s are would lead. The sons and disciples "Have you ever heard ganga tad- recited." would follow in chorus. It is impossible dheem ?" he asks and continues in the He sits quietly, lost in thought and as for anyone to recite it all by himself. It same khanda nadai: if viewing the Lord's procession in his would last about an hour and a half. It imagination. After all he is a dance mas- would be recited in the tara stayi sadja Gathi tha dhana thanatha jonu

ter who sees the dances in his mind and would be in the raga Nattai. In the Jonutha dhimi kitathaka thakita.

before he trains his students to give higher octave it would go up to the He recites the tandava jati in Nattai expression to them. We have to prod gandhara, while it would reach the pan- raga with great enthusiasm for about two him from his reverie. chama in the lower octave. The sollu- minutes and then switches from khanda kattu would be recited with cadences. nadai to tisra nadai. Dheemtha dheemtha Have you ever used these tandava ja- The tandava jati-s are different from dheemtha tham. ti-s in your compositions for the dance mallari. stage ? It is most enjoyable to listen to him.

"Yes, I have used them in one or two "The natyacharya of the village would We can even visualise the sandhya tan-

20 recite the jati-s, accompanied by sudda- dava (twilight dance) of Nataraja accom- places, where it was appropriate," he maddalam. The beauty of the sollukattu panied by Nandi playing the mridangam.

But suddenly Ramiah Pillai stops and They did not play the instruments merely Perhaps that is the secret of his success as asks: "How will you write all this to make a living. dance teacher both on stage and in down ?" "In those times, every village was home films. When he talks, he does so gently Lost in the beauty of the sollukattu-s to a number of musicians. Vazhuvoor and his voice is barely audible above the and his sonorous rendering and the vivid Veerasami Pillai, a famous nagaswara whirr of the overhead fan. He opens his picture of the tandava nritya, we hadn't eyes now and starts talking again. really thought of transcribing these into vidwan, was among them.

words. In any case, the beauty of the "Tirumarugal Natesan, uncle of Tiru- "My grandmother Balambal was

sollukattu-s cannot be described. One vaduturai Rajarathnam Pillai, was par- reputed to have been a good dancer. I

has to experience them by listening to ticularly adept in rendering brika-s. have seen her when I was a boy. I

them in the right atmosphere and with Rajarathnam followed his style. Chinna remember she was powdering betel nuts

bhakti in one's heart. It is not customary Pakkiri of Mannargudi was reputed to in a mortar at that time." There is an

to include tandava jati-s in Bharatana- have played even better than Rajarath- impish laughter in his voice when he

tyam. And perhaps there is none else nam. He used to play while the deity of says that.

who knows these jati-s today. Rajagopalaswamy was carried out in procession and I believe that after his "Vazhuvoor Nagamma Amma who

"These have been composed in the death, others hesitated to take his place learnt dance from Samu thatha was very

five nadai-s and all the various speeds," in the procession. These villages were all famous. She danced at every samastha-

he informs. "There will not be a single within a radius of ten miles around nam [princely estate] in Tamil Nadu. It

harsh syllable like thakita kitathaki, Vazhuvoor." was the maharajas and princes who pat- ronised and encouraged the arts. Dancers dhikkitta kitathaka." We can see very well how proud he is at Ettayapuram, Ramanathapuram and Ramiah Pillai goes on : about his family. Maybe they were other samasthanams in Tamil Nadu were

"Now about my ancestors. There have wonderful artists. We want him to tell us patronised by them and awarded titles.

been not only natyacharyas among them more about the nattuvanars and dancers In those days it was customary to present

but also veena vidwans. And also mri- who belonged to his family and his the artists with gold thodas, chains and

dangam vidwans and nagaswaram and place. so on.

tavil vidwans. If a person had three or "There have been many dancers", he "Titles are common only now. They four sons, at best one among them who says, resuming the narrative, but pauses were not at that time," he adds with a had the right aptitude would be trained in as if to recollect. He adjusts his zari laugh. Also laughing, he says that the nattuvangam and launched as a natya- angavastram and closes his eyes. He is artists travelling from place to place had charya. This practice has been continuing very conscious of his appearance even at to ride oxens. Apparently, carts would for centuries. I know because the family this age. A true artist indeed! He walks not be used because not all places were history has been passed on to us by word with a limp because of a fall which connected by carriage ways. While those of mouth from generation to generation. caused a fracture of his thigh bone, yet who knew horse-riding could use horses, There's some substantiation also availa- he carries himself with dignity. He has others, like Siva, had to depend on the ble always got along with all sorts of people. rishaba vahana or had to foot it. "My

"The earliest ancestor I'have heard of is Nagappa Nattuvanar. There is also a Pithu Nattuvanar, named after Pitharan- nan, a local Vazhuvoor deity. Nagappa Nattuvanar's grandson by his daughter was Veerappa Nattuvanar. He was a great dance-master famed for his deep knowledge. My grandfather-and Vee- rappa Nattuvanar's grandson-was Samu Nattuvanar. A contemporary of Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai, he was well-versed both in theory and practice. I've a picture of him. I also have a picture of Manicka Nattuvanar, my mother's brother. My father was called Babji : his real name was Parthi- ban. My mother was Bhagyamma, Samu Nattuvanar's daughter. "Musicians in our family included Vazhuvoor Muthuveer. a contemporary of tavil vidwan Needamangalam Mee- nakshisundaram. His father Ponnusamy played the mridangam. Pecple used to be in awe of him. These were all musicians who had reputations as matchless artists. A family group : (siting) Ramiah Pillai, Vinayakam, wife Gnanasoundaram (standing) disciple, Mani Pillai (brother) Samraj & his wife Kamala, disciple 21

elders have told me how, even in the last their midst? dambal is herself about 70 years old century, the Chinniah-Ponniah brothers "Sringaram there was not the kind of now ; because of her penury, the came riding on oxen to worship in Vazhuvoor," he says, as if to emphasise mundane sringaram you may be think- Government is paying her a pension

he wasn't just telling a cock-and-bull ing about," he replies. "There is a beauti- which 1 recommended.

story. ful form of sringaram. Natarajamurthy has "Jagadambal, Vazhuvoor Nagammal, himself performed sringara tandavam. Vazhuvoor Balambal, Tiruvarur Gnana- "Samu nattuvanar went to Mysore. There is indication in Agastya's sutra-s thammal, Tiruvalaputur Kalyani Ammal, Nagamma Amma danced there. The that the Bharatanatyam of today had its Tanjavur Veenabhashini Ammal-all maharaja wanted to see the dance again origin in Sringara Tandavam. This was these were famous dancers and were the next day. My grandfather was even before Bharata's time." more or less contemporaries. There were thrilled. In order to show his gratitude, he composed a tillana in the raga Surati He goes off the track. It is difficult to one or two others.

on Chamaraja Wodeyar and had it per- bring his attention back to sringara in "Kalyani Ammal's dance was very

formed the next day. At that time Poochi royal courts. good indeed. Her guru was Suryamurthy

Srinivasa Iyengar was the samasthana "Four thousand years ago, Raja- who was also the guru of Pandanallur

vidwan." sekhara Pandya, the ruling king, was in Meenakshisundaram Pillai

He sings a snatch from that composi- the habit of worshipping Nataraja at "I saw Veenabhashini Ammal only

tion. Dhitham thiranaa dhiru thom thira- dawn. He wanted to learn dance. He was when she was old. Even then she was

naa valapu nilupa thaala jaalaraane. told that he could learn it from Agastya who was living in the Podhigai hills. He very beautiful. She sang while doing

Chamaraja Bhoopathi gambhiraa. There abhinaya. Her daughters Raja and Bala

is a catch in his voice and he pauses. learnt the art, but the strain of it left him danced too. She treated me like a son.

Recovering himself he adds :"Poochi physically exhausted. Pitying Nataraja, Iyengar exclaimed Sabaash Samu. he exclaimed Oh Lord! I got tired so "There was one Andalammal in Tan- javur. Neither she nor Veenabhashini Thereafter the maharaja honoured my soon. How should you feel. dancing Ammal would rest content with what grandfather and presented him with a forever with one foot raised? At this, they were taught by their gurus. They thoda." Nataraja is fabled to have changed his were highly imaginative and creative.

We want to know if he has in his pos- stance and to have raised the other foot. Manickavachakar has sung about the Then there was a dancer named Sara-

session any of the ornaments given as deity lifting the other foot. Agastya's dambal. I saw her do abhinaya-at

royal gifts. "No," he explains, "they Koothilakkanam was written for Raja- home. It was marked by 'talukku' and 'kulukku'-grace and verve." were sold for buying lands." sekhara. Agastya had a disciple called Ramiah Pillai readily admits that he Koothan, who wrote the Kootha Nool Ramiah Pillai now wanders on to

becomes emotional when he talks about The Eyal Isai Nataka Manram in Tamil- dancers of a later period and, after refer-

the greatness of his ancestors. He gives nadu has published the text from the ring to the pair Bhanumati and Vara-

no indication of an inflated ego but he is palm leaf manuscripts relating to these." lakshmi and also to Swarna Saraswati

justly proud about them. He talks We remember a great Tamil scholar, and Balasaraswati, arrives at Adyar and

simply, reciting mere facts as he had M. Arunachalam, saying that Kootha refers to Rukmini Devi. "Raja Chandra-

heard his elders talk about these inci- Nool is a fraud. But we are not interested sekhar produced a film called Raja

dents. in Kootha Nool or Agastyar now. We Desingh," he notes. "And Rukmini Devi

are interested in Ramiah Pillai and we danced in it, her husband Arundale pro- Referring to the song composed by viding a commentary. She did abhinaya Samu Nattuvanar extolling the Mysore tell him that gently for the padamPadari varuhutu. I'm not maharaja, we want to know if narastuti "Yes, we were discussing my grand- sure this film was released but, when I or the praise of Man, is to be admired in father, weren't we?" he asks and gets a poet or a composer. He is piqued. back on the track. "He trained a number was choreographing the dances for another of Chandrasekhar's films, he Is everyone a swami? Besides, it was of dancers who became well-known, like Alamelu, Nagamma, Rukmini and Jaga- projected it on the screen for me. I have,

customary for an artist to express his or dambal. The last-named was from of course, seen Rukmini Devi perform her regard for the patron. This was a on the stage also. I've seen all important respected practice. While the artists Madurantakam. Her bhavam was dancers. And I accept that which is

generally sang in praise of god, it was superb. Dhanammal who rarely good. One need not pick on the flaws. still the practice to sing about rulers of approved of anyone was pleased with her dance. Whenever Manicka Nattu- That's my principle." samasthanams, in order to please them. I We want to know how he became don't consider it was wrong. They were vanar conducted Jagadambal's dance, interested in dance and who taught him. pious, sincere and upright and that is Dhanammal would watch for long hours

enough. Going through history you will and extend her praise without fail. Jaga- Ramiah Pillai now talks about him-

find many a great composer had done dambal danced even when she was 70 self

the same thing." years old. Don't be shocked! Didn't "My grandfather Samu Nattuvanar Bala dance even after she had entered died when my mother Bhagyamma was We ask : how could a dignified her 60's? [It was from Jagadambal that only six years old. My father died young audience sit through a performance E. Krishna Iyer first learnt Bharata- My uncle Manicka Nattuvanar, was my when a young danseuse sang and danced natyam and it was from her again that expressing sringara or romantic feelings Ramiah Pillai himself learnt abhinaya]. guru from my childhood. He was famous as a dance-master and it was he who 22 towards the monarch who was also in A surviving grand-daughter of Jaga- trained a leading Ceylonese dancer of

those times known as Ranjana. My was able to write jati-s automatically, pronunciation if one knows Telugu. A uncle's sons and I used to dance in the silamba koodam which encompassed an keeping time with the palm, to offbeat special master taught us Telugu from a cycles. Our masters would ask us to keep book called Pedda Bala Siksha. area 12 feet by 20 feet. Pictures of time with our palms and recite the jati-s. Nataraja and other gods and the musical Just by watching and listening we would "We were very young and we used to

instruments were on one side. The elders do it. This is an art learnt without our run out and play in between lessons! My

would offer worship to them and then being aware of learning. cousins all died young. New disciples

we would start our lessons. There was no came and went.

other place to conduct the classes and "We learnt music also. We had to "Our elders would take or send the therefore one lesson would follow the learn janta varisai and saptatala disciples to the temples to discharge other. We would break at one o'clock in alankara-s, we had to do akara sadha- hereditary duties. They would com- the afternoon, have lunch and rest a lit- kam. It was a 'must' to learn Tevaram mand : Ele, go to the temple. When so ordered, 1 would go to the temple and recite the jati-s and play the cymbals. Singing hymns was one of the shodasa upachara-s. The odhuvar would sing and I-or whoever else was sent to the temple-would join in. The tala would be played solo and it would be followed by instrumental music. Thereafter the dance. Each would last about two or three minutes. All the upachara-s had to be gone through before we could return home. Our elders shared the salary and the paddy received from the temple with the disciples "In the Perumal temples, pasuram-s used to be sung and we joined in. It is this that later on inspired me to set pasuram-s like Pachai ma malaipol meni in the varnam format." Suddenly Ramiah Pillai sits up as though he is going to utter something extraordinary. What he does is tell us about his moving to Madras, a turning point in his life. "I, who spent the time thus between my home and the temple, came to Mad- ras in 1938 all of a sudden. Before that I spent some time in Mayavaram. I assisted my uncle in teaching there. As long as he was alive. I never taught any- thing on my own. He used to say : Ele. teach the adavu-s. And I would. If he asked me to supervise silambam, I did that. I started on my own only after I came to Madras. Raja Chandrasekhar, the film director I mentioned before, invited me to come to Madras and teach Jagadambal dance to those who performed in films. tle. The classes would resume at four and Tiruvachakam. We used to sing a Apparently, no one else was forthcom- o'clock and continue till seven or eight. I few varna-s. Kriti-s came later. ing. My elders permitted me to go and I conduct my classes now in the same Kshetrayya's pada-s had not come into agreed. It was then that I started in films. pattern. vogue at that time. It was only after I There was no studio in Madras then. "I learnt everything that was taught had started pursuing my career as a Films had to be shot in Calcutta. Later there in that silamba koodam : adavu-s, natyacharya that I learnt his pada-s and the Newtone Studios opened in Madras jati-s, sastra-s, everything. The girls their significance. Films were shot there too. Whenever learnt only dance. We would watch "We learnt Telugu as part of our there was a dance sequence in films, I them. To those of us who were being dance training. The Tamil language lacks was called in. trained for nattuvangam, other things Sanskrit sounds ; Telugu has them. It is "Whatever I taught and choreo- were taught too. At a very tender age I easy to learn Sanskrit and its correct graphed was pure Bharatanatyam. Not to 23

Ramiah Pillai & orchestra Kamala at first. She came later. Her par- ents requested me to teach her. Prior to

Muthukumara Pillai & Ramiah Pillai that, she had danced in one or two films. I remember that she had learnt Kathak. At that time I was very busy in films. Since there were no other dance teachers, I was in great demand. A dance sequence for the heroine would be improvised. Films owed their popularity to dances. I had to compose an approp- riate dance for the given situation. Then I had to teach the dance, attend rehear- sals, attend shooting. I had to teach even those who had never learnt dancing, but I taught only so much as was required. And I taught in a manner which made learning easy. Yet it would take four to five months for a performer to learn foot movements, hand gestures, facial expres- sions and the mudra-s. This done, I would add the finer touches which would render the dance more appeal- ing."

Among the actresses he taught this way were T.R. Rajakumari, K.L.V. Vasantha, M.V. Rajamma and Pasu- puleti Kannamba. In the film Ashok Kumar, Kannamba danced to the hit song, Unai kandu mayangata perka- lundo, rendered in Bhairavi by M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavatar. Many others-such as Yogalakshmi and Kuchalakumari-also learnt from Ramiah Pillai to dance in films. As far as dance sequences in films made in the South were concerned, Ramiah Pillai had a virtual monopoly then. He was the dance director in almost all AVM films. "They never called anyone else," he says. "There was no one else! Besides, I commanded

32-3-69 respect. I never behaved in such a 24 manner as to attract disrespect or to

cause displeasure. In speech and beha- He started teaching Anandhi and the snake charmer and his wife. In it, I viour, I was pleasant. I had no rival at Radha after violinist Kumbakonam Raja- devised a sequence where the snake that time. Only after a number of years manickam Pillai played the role of ho- charmer is bitten by a snake. The wife did dance masters from the North arrive nest broker and got the girls' parents and him together. At the suggestion of T.K. curses it. [He sings the song]. Then the on the scene." snake comes back and removes the poi- "I was so busy in films, I had no time Chidambaranatha Mudaliar (TKC) who for tuition really. One of the first I took was a close friend of both Sadasivam son. This was a ballet. Both girls were

and Kalki Krishnamurthi, Ramiah Pillai beautiful. And danced well. I have com- as a Bharatanatyam student was a girl posed ballets for them in a 100 films or called T.M. Pattammal. She was sent to composed dances to ancient Tamil poet more." me by a genius of a nattuvanar named Kamban's verses and taught them to Tirukazhukundram Doraiswamy. He had Anandhi and Radha. He choreographed Hemalata and Vijaya were entrusted to Ramiah Pillai by their mothers who taught Pattammal and when he couldn't new Tamil varna-s too for them. do it any longer because of old age, he Children of other elite families were were ardent admirers of Bharatanatyam and who liked his style after seeing sent her to me. I conducted rehearsals soon placed under his tutorial care. "Fol- and then recitals for her. I taught her lowing Anandhi and Radha, I got plenty Anandhi and Radha perform. The girls had been learning from Muthukumara some items of my own. She danced in of students, plenty," says he, savouring Pillai but he had become too old to con- some films too-in Maya Machindra the memory of those times. "Film direc- and Daksha Yagnam I think. Anandhi- tor K. Subramaniam brought to me Lali- tinue as their guru. So the mothers

Radha and Kamala and others came tha and Padmini when they were young. quickly turned to Ramiah Pillai.

afterwards. Vyjayantimala learnt from I taught them for a short while. Then Vijaya's mother recalls the events for me from her eighth to her sixteenth year. Mahalingam Pillai taught them. I com- us. "He started coming home to teach. Then she became a film actress and the posed all the film dances for them. I also He said : Since they have learnt under teaching stopped." composed several ballets. For instance, Muthukumara Pillai, the adavu-s are

As mridanga vidwan in a cinema A 1940 portfolio With violinist Govindaraja Pillai 25

With Nehru : (1 to r) Samraj. Ramiah Pillai, Kamala & Radha neat; we can conduct their arangetram in Muthukumara Pillai. This is reflected Anandhi. "We could not make out that six months. And he did what he claimed. in his recollection of the older master. "He has taught several disciples. Very he was manipulating the dolls with a He taught in the most satisfactory black string. Even now when I think of

days." manner. He was very sincere in those neat in work. He has even taught Mrina- lini Sarabhai. Even at the age of 70 and it, I laugh."

80, he used to demonstrate the steps. Jigara ki jana jalimka ... was it some Vijaya (Rajan) and Hemalata (Sarma) Thambi, watch. Let me dance a little, he kind of gypsy language ? We don't tell us that Ramiah Pillai was a very good teacher. Vijaya: "He never got would say and then dance. He would know but it is a fact that Ramiah Pillai taught gypsy dances to his young wards. angry, never scolded us. At the same recite the jati-s and dance. I would

time he was strict and did not allow our exclaim, Anna, enough, enough and For instance, he composed a dance to verses from Kutrala Kuravanji selected attention to wander." Hema: "We were entreat him to sit down." by TKC and Radha performed it. Some about eight and nine. Sometimes he Ramiah Pillai was indeed a good teacher and intuitively understood child- time later President Rajendra Prasad would explain the meaning of the songs, ren, according to Anandhi. One day came to Madras. The city's mayor who but 1 cannot say we understood the sub- Radha and Anandhi came home from held a civic reception for him recruited tleties of the pada-s. We did what we Hema and Vijaya to give a one-hour were taught to do." Vijaya again: "On school and M.S. Subbulakshmi told them dance recital. Vijaya's parents requested some days he came only after 8.30 p.m. that the dance master was waiting for

Both of us used to dance sleepily. We them. Home then was Kalki Gardens, a Kothamangalam Subbu to choose the

learnt Manavi, the Sankarabharanam sprawling house. The girls went looking verses from Kutrala Kuravanji and set

for him. There was a small, rather dark them to tune. He did gladly, and Ramiah varnam, and the pasuram Pachai ma malai pol meni which was already com- space between the balconies and Pillai Pillai used them to compose dances more or less like in a dance-drama. posed by him in the form of a varnam was sitting there on a blue dhurree. Since he composed appropriate jati-s for with teermanam-s in between. Almost "Have your tiffin and come back quick; let's watch a recital," he said. The girls performing in between songs, it was a all the songs he taught us were in Tamil combination of classical and folk dance. and we learnt only one Kshetrayya were quite excited. Another four or five

padam from him." And Hema again: children joined them. It was dusk. There This ballet was appreciated by the large

were two tiny dolls at the centre of the gathering at the civic reception. Vyjayan- "He would say Don't keep your hand so timala later learnt it and performed it stiffly. Muthukumara Pillai's style is dhurree. "Watch the magic," the master many times. different. Such stiffness is not required. said. As he sang, Jigara ki jana jalimka, He was never picky. He was very broad- jigara ki jana, the dolls danced in Vijaya's mother recalls that Ramiah minded." rhythm, jumping up and down. He was Pillai taught with a lot of interest when

26 seated at a distance some three feet away the children learnt the kuravanji dance. Ramiah Pillai had a lot of respect for from them. "We were amazed," says "He composed on the spot. He com-

posed jati-s in a novel manner. The Of course, it never did to an extent ing, imparted to her dance his own dis- abhinaya also came out beautifully. Even that it affected his standing in the dance though the dominant rasa was sringara, world. In any event, a good number con- tinctive style and taught her new items.

he introduced humour here and there. tinued to learn dance from him. Ramiah Pillai is quick to concede that

That was not all. He offered suggestions Kamala is his most distinguished disciple

regarding the dress and the make up. We "Hundreds learnt [dance] from me," and that she helped him to acquire a

did not, at that time, know much about he says, when pressed recently to furnish great reputation. make-up. We learnt it step by step." She a list, "but I haven't kept any records. Everybody knows about those among E.V. Saroja was another early student also says: "He had lots of imagination. His rendering of jati-s fell pleasingly on them who have become famous." and she made a mark on the stage as well as in the cinema. Abhayam (Bala- the ears. He added dignity to nattuvan- His son Samraj is the one he has muralikrishna) also learnt dance from gam." But. .. as his name and fame groomed to serve as the pontiff of the Ramiah Pillai around that time. spread wide and the demand for his ser- Vazhuvoor school or tradition. But, Among those who learnt Bharatanat- vices increased even further, he became erratic. Avers she: "Gopalakrishnan, one among dancers, the most famous one is, yam from the maestro in the 1950's and of course, Kamala. She was brought to later-and became well-known as per- of his students, had a good voice. He him when she was seven years old. Since formers-are Kanaka Srinivasan, used to sing for the recitals. Ramiah Pil- her first Bharatanatyam guru, Muthu- Komala Varadan, Padma Subrahman- lai started sending him for the rehearsals. kumara Pillai, was a traditionalist and an yam and Chitra Visweswaran. Swami- When he lost interest in this manner, the expert to boot, Ramiah Pillai did not malai Rajarathnam, who is among the foremost nattuvanars today. K.J. Sarasa decreasing." number of his students also started have to teach Kamala from the basics. So he gave finishing touches to her train- and S.K. Kameswaran also cut their teeth under Ramiah Pillai's drill. Of the disciples of the latter period, Kanaka Srinivasan. who now lives in New Delhi, has remained completely faithful to the Vazhuvoor style, even Visiting President Radhakrishnan : Malathi (now wife of Sevanti Adityan), Ramiah Pillai though she has been adding her own and Samraj creativity to the dance learned from the master. Similarly, Kamala's sister Radha has also remained true. Chitra Visweswaran's dance has undergone mutations while Padma Sub- rahmanyam has herself stated that what she now dances is something else that has evolved out of her own scholarship and vision. In some cases, former chelas of the vadyar from Vazhuvoor have been taken over by other gurus who have given them their own distinctive stamp-for better or worse. And there are many who claim to belong to the Vazhuvoor school, whether they have anything to show for it or not. Ramiah Pillai taught his daughters also to dance and "such things as arange- tram were done," to quote him. But they didn't take to a performing career. To quote him again : "I felt that it was suffi- cient if my disciples danced. I saw no purpose in my daughters doing it. From the age of five my children remained in the silamba koodam. In a few years, they helped in conducting my classes. But my daughters stopped with that. Both of them are married now. While Samraj continues the family tradition, my younger son Vinayakam, who learnt on his own to play the mridangam as well 35.9.63. சென்னை ஐனாதிபதி வீட்டில் as to conduct dances, is a light-music composer whose works are presented on 27

radio and tv." Another son works in a Ramiah Pillai is a widower now. His grammes, Ramiah Pillai is lonely. We bank Ramiah Pillai taught dance to a wife-whom he married when she was realise how old age is more difficult to only five years old-had a good voice accept for those people who have always number of students free of charge. He also presented a number of programmes and could sing well but never would sing been busy and wanted.

to raise funds for worthy causes. A man in front of him. Moreover, she devoted

of pious disposition, he has earned a repu- her time almost entirely to taking care of AN OLD STUDENT the family. Now that she is no more and Translated from Tamil by tation as a guru who has conducted him- self admirably. that he has virtually retired from day-to- Sujatha Vijayaraghavan

day teaching and conducting dance pro- [First part of a two-part article.]

Vazhuvoor & His Style

A Golden Tribute

K anaka Srinivasan was a starry-eyed sringara." six-year old when she came under the tutelage of Ramiah Pillai. Time may With all these gifts, what can explain have erased the awe and halo surround- the fact that one rarely hears of Vazhu- ing the guru, but it has in no way dimmed voor disciples amongst the young reign- the respect for "one of the most gifted of ing the field today ? Kanaka ponders the teachers that Bharatanatyam has seen." question and then offers an explanation.

Describing "fluid grace and a deep yet "I suppose there is a kind of periodi-

subtle feel for abhinaya" as the hallmark city and cycle about preferences in the of the Vazhuvoor school, Kanaka feels art field. When I joined Vazhuvoor,

that the caressing quality she seems to Kamala was at the peak of her career.

impart to her movements is the result of Vijayalakshmi, a beautiful dancer who got training under Ramiah Pillai. "There into the films, was coming into her own.

was a special quality to each movement E.V. Saroja was another talented per- dance, that the first credit should go. And then it was also mentioned in a which he would emphasise so well in the former. So that was the time when the gathering that to Rukmini Devi should teaching. A plain tai-didi-tai, along with Vazhuvoor alchemy and magic were much in demand. A great deal of what I go the credit of introducing a seated the eye movements, the right incline of nattuvanar, as against the prevailing the head and a feel for the gesture have imbibed was by just watching these acquired an aesthetic dimension which dancers being put through their paces practice of nattuvanars standing while conducting. V.R. Samraj has told me of was different. He hated any display of .Public memory is short. People the well-known occasion when my guru raw, foot-stamping rhythm. He taught forget the contributions of even a great walked up to the great master, Meenak- leaps and jumps with meticulous empha- guru. A new generation takes over." shisundaram Pillai, and entreated him to sis on landing gracefully. Don't give the "As a guru," says Kanaka, changing sit down and do the nattuvangam. When impression of stamping on cow-dung, he the subject, "Ramiah Pillai had his I myself have done it in the seated pos- would say." temperamental bouts like all great peo- ture, I cannot bear to see you stand for

Kanaka continues: "This delicacy ple. One day very close, one day chil- the nnttuvangam he said and he was

was not confined to dancing alone, but lingly distanced as he was, we waited for heeded. While acknowledging the signifi

permeated even the associated discip- the urge to teach to overtake him. When cant contributions of one person, how

lines. Even the nattuvangam had a deli- that happened, he would teach like one can you forget what others have done ?"

cate feel that abjured jarring stridency. possessed and put us through demoniac Kanaka is confused by the present-day What a difference it made to the recital! dancing sessions of four to five hours, unmindful of hunger or thirst." dance situation. "We are confounded by One rarely comes across that kind of too many teachers and too many stu- non-aggressive recitation of rhythmic syl- "People call him an angry person, but dents," says she. "People with no train- lables these days. For Vazhuvoor even he has reasons to be now," she says, con- ing in music and nattuvangam become the mridangam player had to cultivate tinuing. "Everybody knows how great teachers. I myself started teaching after that inevitable feel for tone. He would the late Rukmini Devi Arundel's contri- some trepidation. Nattuvangam is a advise the percussionist to catch the bution has been. But that does not mean separate discipline with a whole vocabu- abhinaya mood.in the playing. Rhythmic that every achievement in the dance field lary which is different from the adavu accuracy alone was never satisfactory for can be placed at her door. Recently jati-s. Today all kinds of people are him. As for abhinaya, few could equal doing nattuvangam. You can't blame Vazhuvoor. I still remember his interpret- when Krishnaveni danced, the announce- dancers, for nattuvanars have become ing the line Kandavar mayanga vedan ment claimed Rukmini as the exclusive demanding and difficult to get for katti adukiravarkku while seated on the choreographer of Swati Tirunal's Kamala jaasya. The art world knows rehearsals. All the energies of the dancer floor. The variety of sanchari-s he spun that Kamala has rendered this Dasa- are spent in organising the orchestra. out is still fresh in my mind. My under- vatara varnam more times than people One can't afford to maintain a perma- standing of abhinaya is due to his teach- can count and it is to Ramiah Pillai, who nent team." 28 ing alone. He was a master at projecting visualised this item in the language of LEELA VENKATARAMAN

Kamala & Ramiah Pillai The Alchemy Of A Victorious Alliance

Kamala was Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai's star student. During for Kamala. From 1942 he was Kamala's guru. He polished a recent visit to India from the U.S. where she now lives, she whatever she had learnt already. And also taught new items. spoke to SRUTI about her training under Ramiah Pillai. Her He took a lot of interest in teaching her. mother Rajam also joined in to make some observations. Excerpts : KAMALA Amma would also ask Isn't this song good ? and ask him to compose dance for the same. He would select RAJAM Kamala danced in Hindi films when she was only three and a half years old. In the beginning she learnt Kathak songs on his own as well and compose dances.

from Lacchu Maharaj. We brought him to Bombay for her RAJAM Later Kamala herself suggested to him songs by

sake. We found some more students and a class was started. Swati Tirunal. You know, she learnt music under Narayana Nivas and secured two diplomas. The first to teach Bharatanatyam to Kamala and to start her on tai ya tai was Muthukumara Pillai. During the World KAMALA I used to learn compositions like the Dasavatara

War II evacuation, we left Bombay, came south and stayed at varnam. Vadyar would compose the dance. He would cho-

Madanapalli. I arranged to bring Kattumannarkoil Muthu- reograph the adavu-s and compose the sollukattu jati-s. kumara Pillai over to Madanapalli, found him a house and RAJAM If he said Do this adavu or do that, Kamala would arranged to have him teach dance. He taught one complete do it at once. margam. He was the one who taught Manavi che kona radha. Kamala's arangetram took place in Mayavaram. It KAMALA Sometimes I would ask him : Is it nice if I do like

was held at the municipal hall. Muthukumara Pillai con- this ? He would reply : It is good, Kamala. Let's have it that

ducted it. But he had become too old and couldn't take care way. Very broadminded. He was very fond of me because he

of all the recitals. So, one day he suggested on his own : thought I danced well. He also received a lot of recognition

"There is a boy called Ramiah. His sollukattu-s are very because of me.

good. Maybe you should try him. One day he brought RAJAM He won recognition only because of her. over Ramiah Pillai who was at that time teaching Anandhi and Radha in Madras. Then he started doing nattuvangam KAMALA Whatever he taught one day, I would repeat exactly the very next day. There would be no mistake. He Ramiah Pillai Conducting Kamala's recital in Salem, 1949

29

Ramiah Pillai, Anantharama Dikshitar, Radha, Kamala & their mother Rajam would say Well done! I would feel thrilled. I would practise ples say that he used to give suggestions regarding costumes and many times. I had a lot of respect for him. Even now I have a make up. lot of respect for him. There is none to equal him in nattu- vangam. He is unique. The calculations in the teermanam-s RAJAM Perhaps he did. It was not required in Kamala's

would be accurate. If he repeated kita thaka thari kita thom, ase.

there would be absolutely no error. He did not like patch- KAMALA He could not sing like a senior vidwan. But he has work. The thadhinginathom would fall into place exactly deep knowledge of music. He knows which raga is appro- where the song is supposed to commence from. He would not priate for which song, or which rasa. He would correct and try to fill gaps with a thaka or thakita. train the accompanying vocalists and direct the other accom-

Tell us about the adavu-s. Did he depart from the traditional panists on the various instruments. He directed the orchestra

ones and do any innovation ? efficiently. We never had to worry about it. Our job was to

KAMALA He and I have together formulated some new go to the stage and return after the programme was over. He spared us from all other problems. But he had no patience for adavu-s. There are some adavu-s which are very similar to rehearsals. Don't worry, you'll do well, he would say. I used each other. I would try some variations of them and perform to feel scared. I would practise alone by myself and perform in front of him. Such as doing an araimandi adavu in a full at the recital. That would result in his having to follow me standing posture or do it in full mandi, or do it with a bend during the programme. or a slant. As he thought out the movements during choreo- graphy, I would do these variations. He would be pleased Did he teach differently for films ?

very much. He would not consider it impertinent. KAMALA Certain modifications are required for films. There

How would he teach bhava (facial expressions) ? is a space alloted as camera area. The dance should be res- tricted to this. Hand gestures and facial expressions should KAMALA He would teach it very well. He would demon- come out beautifully. Close-ups should come out well. If you strate the abhinaya beautifully. For instance, take Kshe- stretch the arm it might fall outside the frame. My guru was trayya's Vadevvade in Bhairavi. He would teach a variety of an expert in choreographing within these constraints. Some- sanchari bhava-s for it. As we danced, new ideas for sanchari bhava-s would occur. We would thereafter keep improving it times he would leave it to me. The choreography in Konjum Salangai was mine. He said it was good. ourselves. Did your Bharatanatyam get adversely affected because you Did he give ideas for costumes ? were also taught for films. KAMALA All that was Amma's work. Stitching dresses, KAMALA Not at all. We never did on the stage something colour combinations, make-up, all these were attended to by that was prepared for the films. The audience would ask for her. Vadyar's other disciples too would seek Amma's advice it, but we wouldn't comply. on these matters We are not referring to that. Because of the change in technique, 30 Maybe you didn't need this. But the parents of some other disci- did anyone suggest that the quality of your classical dance per-

formances had gone down ? books and by research. That is all. His credo was that it was KAMALA No. The quality did not go down. You may even sufficient to put all the efforts into learning to dance, that it put it this way. Classical dance became popular through was not necessary to learn theory. He never tried to teach films. Rukmini had danced Yaar undanai pol aadaripavar teermanam-s. We used to learn them as we performed. I used and Chindhai arindu vaadi in Sri Valli. These appealed to the to recite it with the talam. His [Ramiah Pillai's] brilliance is people very much. No one can say they were not classical. apparent in the varna-s he composed and taught. Pannagen- Likewise Aaduvome pallu paaduvome and Vetri ettu thikkum dra sayana, Kamala jasya, Sadhinchane, Naadhanai azhaitu etta were first danced by Radha-Anandhi. I danced these vaadi, Nee inda maayam, Karunai seitida, Sakhiye nee inda very songs in AVM's film Naam Iruvar. In Sivakavi and Sri velayil, Pachai maamalai pol meni, the Ata tala varnam in Valli and other films, was the dance anything but classical ? Sankarabharanam-these were choreographed and taught by My stage performances were not affected because I per- him. formed in films. The quality of dance was not diluted for films. The standard depends on the performer and her capa- Did he get angry when teaching ? bility, isn't that so ? What is taught should be assimilated and executed. If a film star who doesn't know dancing performs, KAMALA He would scold us. If he threw away the thattu-

the result would be according to her standard. kazhi, it meant he was very angry. But he would calm down immediately. He used to show a lot of affection. He would Did Ramiah Pillai himself compose Natanam adinaar com- bring us pattas [crackers] for Deepavali. He would crack pletely ? jokes and entertain us. He would recite with tala the lines

KAMALA Yes. 'Jabeel kulaamba gubeel gubeel' and make us roar with laughter.

You performed the snake-charmer dance, Naadar mudimel. Did he teach you that also ? He was very particular about his appearance. After complet- ing his puja he would apply vibhuti and kumkum to his fore- KAMALA He taught me the dance for the siddhar song. Later head and wear a zari dhoti and silk shawl. Adorned thus, he on I remember he taught differently for the film. would electrify the atmosphere by his mere presence on the stage. He had a majestic mien. And he was a very dignified What were the tillana-s he taught you ? master. He had an endearing manner in moving with people.

KAMALA Tillana-s in Kanada, Khamas, Kedaram, Samu He would never imagine that he knew everything and that

nattuvanar's Kedaram, Surati. Apart from these, also in others knew nothing. He would try to find the good points in

Athana and Sankarabharanam which are especially beautiful. each person and try to learn them. If you said something that

All these were taught by him. was good, he would accept it. He had real humility. Among his disciples, there were many who stayed in his house, grew

Hasn't he also composed sabdam-s ? up there and learnt the art and went on to become famous. K.J. Sarasa is one of the important disciples who learnt this KAMALA Yes. All the existing sabdam-s were in Telugu. As way. E.V. Saroja also stayed in his house and learnt. we needed Tamil sabdam-s, he composed them himself. As for example, Venu gananai and Aadum mayilthanai. Dance What do you consider is his major contribution to the art of need have no language problems. But when a new varnam or Bharatanatyam ? padam is composed, in Tamil or whatever, it only enriches the art. It cannot be denied that the enjoyment is more if the KAMALA Vadyar alone is responsible for popularising Tamil song is in a familiar language. What a wonderful piece is the pada-s. He introduced Tamil varna-s. He would choose a Dhanyasi varnam Nee inda maayam! What depth! How suitable kriti, add jati-s and choreograph it in such a manner beautiful is the Kambhoji varnam Naadhanai azhaitu vaadi that the abhinaya sequences and the jati-s would occur alter- Vadyar was proficient in Telugu. If he composed for a Sans- nately. Many Tamil songs became famous because he com- krit lyric, he would go about it only after learning the correct posed dances for them in this manner. meaning. He would ask a Sanskrit pandit to explain the meaning to him. He took the trouble to find out the various He did not stop with this. In regard to alarippu, I would say shades of meaning of a song. He was never casual about it. that he was the one who introduced the currently-in-vogue manner of singing sollukattu-s in Natai, Sankarabharanam

All those who have learnt from your guru have left him. They and such raga-s. There are several pieces where he has com-

fix up their own accompaniments and perform on their own. posed sollukattu-s set in raga-s. For instance, in Kuravanji, others would sing the opening sollukattu-s in the top sadjam, Any comment ? but Ramiah Pillai would render them musically like a mal- KAMALA Some nattuvanars don't get good students, but lari. They would fall very pleasingly on the ears. how many fine disciples my guru has had! Talk of luck! Several nattuvanars were envious of him. All his students It seems there are a number of Ramiah Pillai's disciples in

were good. None was substandard. Padma Subrahmanyam, America today. Do you know them ?

Chitra Visweswaran, they are famous even today. KAMALA Yes there are. But there are also a few who likely never even saw Vadyar, but they proclaim they have learnt Did he teach you theory ? from him and carry on their profession. This is because he is

KAMALA Not much. We learnt theory by learning from respected the world over. But I'm afraid these persons will spoil Vadyar's name. 31

Hemamalini Arni & Her Guru

An Enduring Relationship

Hemamalini Arni, who lives in Hyderabad, was a student of the Vazhuvoor school of dancing. Ramiah.Pillai during the forties. Daughter of C.K. Vijaya- raghavan, who was then the Inspector General of Police in But didn't you learn pada-s from Balasaraswati ? Madras, she was brought to Ramiah Pillai for training Yes! I learnt 25 pada-s. There was no question about her when she was six years old; earlier, she had started learn- supremacy in doing abhinaya, especially to Kshetrayya's ing Bharatanatyam with another dance master named Kan- pada-s. nappa Pillai. She also studied with T. Balasaraswati for two years, learning pada-s. She danced under Ramiah Pillai's Did Ramiah Pillai object to your learning from Bala ?

baton for nearly 15 years. Her devotion to him is very deep Not at all. On the contrary, when I did abhinaya to the and the guru-sishya relationship has continued uninter- pada-s that I had learnt from Balamma, he used to feel rupted to this day. She was very happy to talk to a SRUTI very happy. He was unusually broadminded. When Bala- staffer about her guru. The following are excerpts : saraswati presented Sarabhendra Bhupala Kuravanji at the

Please give us your overall appreciation of your guru's con- Museum Theatre in Madras, I was Vasantavalli and Bala

tribution. herself did the part of the kurathi or gypsy. Ramiah Pillai

Bharatanatyam was put on the map of India by Ramiah came to see this kuravanji and praised the production.

Pillai, with his prime disciple Kamala dancing in all the What are the special features of the Vazhuvoor school of

cities of India. He made Bharatanatyam interesting to all dancing in your view ?

kinds of people, without sacrificing the classical form. His The style is sculpturusque and crisp. Ramiah Pillai has choreography was excellent. Probably he didn't know that always held that it is not only the abhinaya that should be word then, but he made people sit up and watch. The way expressive but also the nritta. That is why his style is so he built up the performance was unique. Nowadays graceful. Today there is nobody to compare with his way dancers offer everything that has to be seen during the first of rendering the solukattu and teermanam-s. part of the programme. But rasikas who watched the dancers trained by Ramiah Pillai knew that the best was He was an excellent teacher. This too paved the way for his

yet to come till the end. He had personality and stature and success. He composed according to the talent and maturity

he added dignity to nattuvangam. I consider myself solely of his pupil.

his disciple. I never had the inclination to break away from My sister Padmini and I learnt music from Mayavaram Krishna Iyer. Padmini used to sing pada-s for my perfor- mances. We learnt music from Maharajapuram Viswana- tha Iyer also for sometime. Master realised how deeply we were interested in the arts. Therefore, in my recitals, when I started doing pada-s, he encouraged me to sing. He also saw to it that I had a mike. Did you ever feel that he didn't give you enough time for rehearsals or teaching ? Not at all. He never cut down my rehearsal time. He taught me with affection. His affection for all of us and his trust in my father was phenomenal. He used to look up to my parents. There was a bond between them. As my father was the IG of Police, we were looked after very well wher- ever we went. He always remembered that and appreciated the way my parents treated him. Do you keep in touch with him now ? Yes. I am teaching Bharatanatyam to 30 young girls in Hyderabad. I don't call it a school; I teach only those who are really interested. Master is very happy that I am keep- ing in touch with the art. He willingly helps me. It is such a joy to present my students to him. He has seen all my students dance. His son Vazhuvoor Samraj does nattuvan- gam for the arangetram of my students. I have been very lucky to have learnt this art from Ramiah Pillai. I acknowledge it. I feel his other students must also 32 acknowledge it.

Ramah Pillai, Samraj, wife Gnanasoundaram & Gurunathan

R amiah Pillai does not perform nattu- vangam for any of his disciples who the guidance of her guru forever, she might find it difficult to give rein to her are famous today. Kamala, Padma Subrahmanyam and Chitra Visweswaran own imagination or to choreograph on her own. She might be afraid that the all went their own ways quite a few guru would consider her impertinent. In years ago, as did Kanaka Srinivasan, the circumstances, those with new though she does have Samraj occasio- insights of their own born out of research nally wielding the cymbals for her. We and the urge to try out new ideas might ask Ramiah Pillai the reason for this. decide to slip away from the master's "It is not that I didn't want to do shadow. We ask Ramiah Pillai whether nattuvangam for them," he explains. he would have objected if any of his "The reason has to do with money. famous disciples had tried to introduce When they received 1000 rupees for a innovations or changes in what he had Natyacharya Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai recital, they gave me 500 rupees. When taught them-even while they continued they received several times that, they to dance under his baton. wouldn't give me half of it any longer. A Creative Master in Traditional Mould Part II They could find others who'd conduct "No," he replies firmly and then,

their recitals for even two or three switching tense, he adds : "If they have a hundred. There have been recitals with- good idea, I'd gladly accept it. I'd ask

out any nattuvangam even !" them to retain it. But if somebody tries to improvise something after learning by Could there have been other reasons half measures, I wouldn't accept it. You 38 as well ? If a disciple continued under may bring your own recipe and cook it,

but it should be edible and digestible." demonstration by Mudikondan (Venkata- about them. "Bharatam Narayanaswami We ask him for his comment on the rama lyer] has also been recorded. Iyer never really approved of any natya- complaint voiced by some dancers, parti- charya. Nor did he approve of any cularly the young, that 90 per cent of "Someone who wants to do nattuvan- gam should learn all these-music, laya dancer. He used to criticise everybody. what they receive for a recital has to be By God's grace he was fond of me. You given away to the nattuvanar and the intricacies, the sastra-s pertaining to dance .. teach well, he would say. He belonged to orchestra, and that usually what they are the lot. A nattuvanar should the Melattur Bhagavata Mela tradition. left with isn't enough to buy even a know how to set a tala in the five nadai-s, how to pronounce [the jati-s], how to He used to dance in front of the deity saree. give the proper stress and intonation and Narasimhaswamy. Dance for him was a

" Maybe it's true in some cases," says so on. Only then would the nattuvangam matter of worship. I haven't seen him

he, "but the front-rank dancers get paid shine. It used to be said : Half is the dance but I knew he had imbibed the

ten to twenty thousand rupees. They beats, half is the dance. The dance can sastra-s and hence the prefix 'Bharatam'.

shouldn't have any problem. Those who be impressive only if the nattuvangam is We would listen to him for hours when-

receive much less may have difficulties. proficient. ever he dwelt on the sastra-s. He was

particularly if they have to pay the sabhas frank in speech. He used to criticise those

also to get the chance to perform, but "Obviously, there should be a separate course for training nattuvanars," he adds, who posed as nattuvanars. He would

such people are few in number. For the probably recalling his own training. pull up an erring dancer and ask : Why

majority of successful dancers, the "The course intended for dancers won't did you do that? Some persons didn't

income is quite good. They just don't give it all up. They retain more than half do for this purpose." therefore like him. "I knew both Pandanallur Meenakshi- the amount. Then, emphasising that intimate sundaram Pillai and Chockalingam Pillai

"Let me tell you about the custom in understanding between master and disci- very well. I have watched the disciples of

the old days. Then, the income was ples should guide recitals, Ramiah Pillai the 'periavar' [the older one] dance. The

shared 50 : 50 between the dancer on the deplores the practice of dancers hiring adavu-s would be very neat. The rhyth-

one side and the master and the musi- nattuvanars on an ad hoc basis: mic patterns would be crisp. He himself

cians on the other. If there were four *Nowadays it seems nattuvangam can used to play the violin. He could also

musicians, the master would divide the be provided by just anyone, properly sing very well. When he was 17 or 18

payment received into five shares, retain qualified or not. A dancer learns from years old, he had sung for my grand-

one and a half for himself, pay one each someone, but has someone else conduct father Samu Nattuvanar's nattuvangam.

to the accompanists playing the mridan- her recitals and a new person provide the If there was need for a singer from out-

gam, clarionet or other instrument, and music. Or she learns from 10 different side, he was sent for. All the villages

give half a share to the person providing people, demonstrates to someone else were within four miles. He has himself

sruti. He [the one providing sruti] also and asks him to conduct her recitals told me : Thambi, when I was about

had to eat, no ? He would, by the way, Some dancers come from out of town your age, your grandfather used to send

also wash the master's clothes and run and hire someone locally to do the nattu- for me. I used to sing. I felt nervous to

various other errands for him. This was vangam. There are many cases like these. sing after he did but he would urge me

the agreement. Every rupee, anna and It is as though whomever wields the on and complement me by saying : Good,

paisa would be shared on this basis. cudgel is the keeper of the law. In the you sing well."

"But let that be. Let me talk about circumstances, the conductor just keeps time and the dance is just so-so The Tears well up in Ramiah Pillai's eyes

nattuvangam itself. A person doesn't connoisseurs surely know the difference." as he speaks of the Pandanallur 'thatha'.

master it easily. He must know music There is a catch in his voice and

and how to play some instruments, the We ask him his opinion about women momentarily he is unable to speak. He is

mridangam. Only then he would have doing nattuvangam and he responds obviously very deeply moved by his

'laya' at his finger-tips. He must learn without hesitation. "A number of memories of the grand old man. Then he

and master the tala intricacies also. I'm women do it. I see some of them doing it wipes his tears away with his upper cloth sure you know about the 35 tala-s and skillfully. But I don't think there is and resumes his recollections.

the 108 tala-s. The majority of the tala-s anybody who is exceptionally good "My grandfather was very fond of in the 35-group have less than 30 Sometimes it is even jarring. It is a diffi- Meenakshisundaram Pillai. The latter akshara-s or syllables. Since the 108 cult job. But the weilding of the cymbals never forgot this. He said to me once : tala-s consist of six anga-s [divisions], the is not up to the standard. Most of the Thambi, whenever your grandfather sent akshara kalam [duration of syllable syllables are played on the mridangam. count], is longer. For example, in the Many of them sing well but the feminine for me, I would drop everything and rush to him. I liked to watch him conduct. He Simhanandana tala, each avarta [cycle] voice does not have the weight of a male voice. Also, it is very difficult to keep wielded the cymbals well In the same contains 128 akshara-s Some years ago time with cymbals singing simul- way, we had mutual regard for each I gave a demonstration of this tala, recit- other. ing the jati-s, over AIR when K.C. taneously." Ramiah Pillai was well acquainted "There was a felicitation for him Thyagarajan was the music producer there. The programme was recorded. with nattuvanars like Bharatam Naraya- [Meenakshisundaram Pillai] in Kumbha-

Someone can request AIR to rebroadcast konam at which Kamala danced. Three

it. Not for the sake of my fame but it naswami Iyer, Meenakshisundaram Pil- lai, Chockalingam Pillai and Dandapani thousand rupees were collected. On that

may be of interest and use to several. A [K.N. Dandayudapani Pillai]. He speaks occasion, we were together for two or three days and had long conversations. 39

He told me all these at that time. Having watched Kamala's dance he said, Thambi, it is very good. I have seen this style with your grandfather. I have seen Manicka Nattuvanar conduct. I see only now the special features and bhava aspects which I had seen in the dance of Madurantakam Jagadamba Amma and Vazhuvoor Nagamma. He blessed me. [Ramiah Pillai sheds tears again]. He was a genius. Well versed in Telugu. There are very few who know music, language, dance and nattuvangam like Meenakshi- sundaram Pillai did. Pillaival knew Sanskrit as well. Nowadays people don't even learn Tamil. They are satisfied if they can do concerts. "Chokalingam Pillai also had regard for us. He used to come home. He taught at a dance school in Egmore. Among his students there was one Kausalya who danced particularly well. [G. Kausalya later served as Collector of Customs. She died in an air crash.] After her, I haven't seen anyone of that calibre among his disciples "Both were good natured. They were free from envy and jealousy. That is why it was possible to know them so closely. We wish to know whether there were any links between the dance masters of Tanjavur and those of Vazhuvoor. "The Vazhuvoor tradition is an ancient one ; it is unique," Pillai asserts. "The Tanjavur family came into being only during the times of Serfoji Maha- raja. Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai & Ramiah Pillai

Pillai has himself told me about this. The you know, he went to Kalakshetra in that of the senior vidwans in the field.

Tanjavur Quartet-Chinniah, Ponniah, Adyar for Rukmini Amma and stayed The institution nurtures the art. He

Sivanandam and Vadivelu used to live in there for a few years. One day he came stayed there for some time before he

Mannargudi. Their father Subbarayan home and said to me : Thambi, I am not came away.'

was an oduvar. When the Maharajs able to stay in Madras. I am going to my

went to that town he heard them sing native place. Shortly thereafter Chocka- Since he is now talking about Kalak-

and brought them over. They learnt nattu- lingam Pillai also left Kalakshetra. It was shetra, an institution which has given the

at that time that Nagaswaram Veeru- lead in producing beautiful dance- vangam, music and veena from samas- dramas, we ask if the growing popularity thana vidwan Mahadeva Nattuvanar. sami Pillai told me that a person to do

The latter had a son too. He was also a nattuvangam was required by Kalak- of the dance-drama has affected solo

shetra. I said I would arrange for it. Bharatanatyam in any manner. He samasthana vidwan. But why elaborate on this now? We had no artistic links There was a boy called Dandapani emphatically denies any adverse impact and adds : with them. There were no ties by [Dandayudapani] in Mayavaram. He

marriage either." was the son of the nagaswara vidwan "There's nothing wrong in doing Karaikal Natesan. I told Veerusami dance-dramas. I have myself choreo- The history he narrates is obviously about that boy. Later I wrote to him and based only on karna parampara, the oral asked him to come over to Madras. graphed and produced them. . .. Kut- trala Kuravanji, Kumaresar Kuravanji, tradition. He continues : When he did, I told him : "There's a job Kapilai Natakam. .. A variety of "There is a lot of difference between the Pandanallur and Vazhuvoor styles. for you at a place where people like bhava-s can be more easily depicted in a

They knew it, even as I know it. There's Meenakshisundaram Pillai and Chocka- dance-drama and audiences enjoy such lingam Pillai have taught. You can have fare but there should be an undercurrent nothing wrong in it, Pandanallur Pillaival ir but don't work there with just a salary of devotion. Also one should know how once told me. "He [Meenakshisundaram Pillai] lived in mind. Stay at least for three years. to select themes suitable for dance. All You can improve your knowledge. Train subjects are not suitable for dance- 40 in a manner befitting a natyacharya. As yourself to wield the cymbals. The style is dramas. Formerly the Kuravanji alone

was done as dance-drama. It was done in the temple in Tanjavur. Jati-s were were according to sastra-s had been instrument with a pitch of 41h. One

included in suitable sequences and given up. I worked to reintroduce them. Kuppuswami used to play for the recitals

recited in the top sadjam. I have wit- "For example, the 108 karana-s, once of my disciples. There were many in

nessed it. I was inspired to try out new in vogue, had been neglected. I did Tanjavur who played the clarionet quite

ideas. My concern was to beautify it research, I studied the sculptures in the well. Those were the days when there were no mikes. Hence more volume was even more. Following me, my son Sam- Tanjavur and Chidambaram temples. All

raj has taught dance-dramas to his disci- the 108 are there. I taught them to my required even though there were no

ples. They have earned a good name too. students. crowds like today's. The natyacharyas

Alli Tirumanam was very popular. "It was I who started the practice of a also sang. Even dancers would pause to

dancer striking sculpturesque poses. listen. Connoisseurs would enjoy both "That lady [at Kalakshetra] nurtured the singing and the dancing. Affluent the art admirably. She started when she "But there are rules regarding what persons would give gifts on the spot to was no longer young and learnt dance should be done and where. And how. the natyacharya as well as to the with sincerity. To the end she toiled hard Whatever the dancer does must be dancer." to nurture the art. It is something to be beautiful. It is not right to lift the hand or happy about. The adavu-s performed the leg unnecessarily. Ramiah Pillai denies he has created

there are neat. After all Meenakshisun- anything new. He admits only to having

daram Pillai and Muthukumara Pillai "Teaching these things must be done carried out certain modifications and

taught there, didn't they? Abhinaya is systematically. And with care. For teach- reintroduced certain aspects which had

also taught very carefully there. Kalak- ing karana-s, line drawings should be existed previously but had been

shetra is indeed a place where great pains prepared and the students trained to discontinued-and these only in accor- dance with established norms and with- are taken in training the dancers." follow them. Appropriate songs and jati-s should be choreographed, for if only out deviating from tradition. Ramiah Pillai is, however, not sure karana-s are done, it'd be like a circus. "Like I brought back into vogue the that more than one dance form should The karana-s should come with bhava, teermanam-s," he says citing yet another be taught by any one school. raga, tala. They should be taught only to example. "The teermanam-s are mainly

"When a school teaches Bharata- those children capable of executing them : those which were composed by the

natyam, it must teach that alone. One others shouldn't be taxed. Movements elders. Sometimes I added some new

master for Kuchipudi, one for Odissi and appropriate to each person should be ideas to them."

one for Kathakali mean that students selected and taught so that the result will would be tempted to learn all. All styles be beautiful. If a student is unable to Ramiah Pillai did choreograph many

execute a particular movement, suitable new dances, especially to songs in Tamil. will get mixed. The lay spectators are not modifications may be made. But the stu- He talks about them in response to our aware of the difference and the integrity of each art form gets diluted. In my dent should be made to practise to request.

opinion it is not right to mix Bharata- achieve competence "For Papanasam Sivan's Nee inda

natyam and Kathakali for example "This is how my imagination worked. maayam in Dhanyasi raga, I composed

Those who learn Bharatanatyam should I didn't do anything in a vacuum. everything including the sollukattu. The

learn that alone. There is no art about jati syllables are old, though.

which you can say, Enough, I have "It is not enough to be aware of all these. The teacher must have a sound "There is great beauty in both the learnt everything. You can learn Bhara- tanatyam for a whole lifetime. Kathakali knowledge of music, must be able to padam and javali, as far as their music is

is also like that. I have seen all dances, sing. My guru used to start teaching both concerned. This cannot be denied."

Each has a beauty of its own. Like music and dance together. My uncle and Marubari taalalenura . ... [He sings but grandfather both would vary the singing is interrupted by a cough.] Once I knew flowers created by God. But you must according to the context. One should not a number of javali-s like Sarasamulaade, learn only one style. Aren't there maha- vidwans who have learnt Carnatic music sing softly in a context which calls for but I have forgotten them now." He says

alone? If you learn a bit of Hindustani assertiveness. One can sing Athana plain- he slowly gave up teaching Telugu pada-s

also and make a mixture of both, will it tively or in anger or to express valour. and javali-s in favour of Tamil pada-s. The meaning of the song should be con- We ask if this led the cognoscenti to feel really work out? It is not right for stu- veyed properly. Yes, those who dance that his disciples' programmes had dents to say I will do this and I will do must know to sing. They must teach in become less attractive. that also." such a way that they develop in the stu- "Absolutely not," he says, "Instead We ask Ramiah Pillai what are the dents a sound knowledge of music they could understand and appreciate the changes or innovations he introduced within a space of five or six years. I have items better. A lot of Tamil speaking through his teaching and conducting. He kept the musicians with me at home, people started to understand what the responds at length. instructed them to sing each song as it dances were all about. As far as I was

"I have certainly not given up any- should be sung and then made them sing for recitals. concerned, I received several honours for

thing that is traditional. I have only built this step taken by me."

on them further. "Do not know how it was in the We want to know whether he started

"As a result of my studies, I felt olden days? Flute was the main accom- to teach Tamil songs only because others

improvements were possible. I found paniment to the concert. [Earlier it was like TKC and Kalki prodded him or

that some aspects of earlier dance which the mukhaveena]. Somehow the clario- whether he himself felt the need for this net came also to be included. It is an change. Ramiah Pillai doesn't hesitate to 41 (Continued on page 44)

sivam saw the programme and highly praised this item. I felt very happy about

Ramiah Pillai's experiment and its deemed success notwithstanding, we are not convinced that Tyagaraja's kriti-s are suited for dance. For it is a long- accepted axiom only those songs which are laden with deep raga-bhava, which are slow-paced, which have few words and not too many sangati-s are suited for dance. Tyagaraja's kriti-s were com- posed for singing only. When abhinaya is done for the pallavi of Sadinchane, it appears disjointed. We turn to another subject and solicit Ramiah Pillai's opinion on whether, these days, there is not a tendency to make a drama of a padam and introduce needless story lines, thus undermining the sophistication and delicate expression of sanchari-s. Ramiah Pillai admits that in With Ravi, Amala & Uda Shankar. Amala learnt a couple of items from Pillai a way this is true and deplores it. answer. yanam and Arunachala Kavi's Rama "They do all sorts of things without "If there is merit in what others sug- Nataka compositions knowing what is meant by sanchari gest, shouldn't we accept it? My reper- "But that didn't mean that I ignored bhava. Properly, it is to delineate a sub- toire included Manavi che kona rada. Telugu altogether. A dance-worthy song, ject matter through a number of varia- Sivan translated it into Tamil as Karunai whatever may be the language, if done tions. But now they take up a story and seidhidalahadha and it was good. Later with imagination will turn out to be it becomes excessive. Maybe they don't when Anandhi and Radha danced to the think it is drama, but they want to excel line *Tiru maada Mayilai nagaril tigaz- good. I have taught abhinaya even for Tyagaraja's kriti-s. Even a Pancharatna in sanchari and indulge in it. Even nectar hum Kapalcesa' at the Mylai Sangeetha in excess is lethal. Sabha conducted by C.V. Narasimhan of kriti I have conducted as a varnam. I was

the Indian Civil Service, it was appro- motivated to do it since Tyagaraja has "When you depict Valli kanavan [Val-

priate to the place and occasion. That composed it as swara-sahitya in the var- li's husband], you may introduce ges-

and the fact that the audience could under- nam pattern. It came out quite credit- ably. But it is not sufficient if I create it tures to show how Valli and Murugan

stand the words were the reasons for the out of my imagination. Those who dance saw each other. You should not start the

appreciation it received on that day. Tirupugazh Mani T.M. Krishnaswamy it should also do it with feeling. Follow- story right from the scene where Valli is

lyer offered very high praise. Even I was ing me Samraj also teaches the varnam born to a deer. You must ponder whether

based on the Pancharatna kriti to his a scene should be done long or short and

surprised. After this I taught my students songs from Tevaram and Kamba Rama- students. Jayanthi Rajagopal performed do it accordingly. That is where the

it at a recital in Coimbatore. MS & Sada- teacher's skill is seen. "In the past there were people who could appreciate both dance and music. Not that there aren't any today, but there were select audiences then. They could understand each aspect and praise L it. We could therefore do abhinaya elabo- rately, taking a line from a song. For example : 'Yera dani joochi yendhendhu tala chevu', which means : 'Hey you, why do you look at her and indulge in all sorts of wild fancies? It is not right'

He starts singing in Devagandhari : 'Oorake adhi pakkaku rammante vachu- na'. His voice is feeble, yet it is obvious that he is enjoying the song. He stops abruptly and picks up the explanation. "The Gopi tells Krishna : That girl 44 Presiding over conference of nattuvanars belongs to another household. You

beckon her with signs. Is it right ? This may be shown through different types of there. I just mentioned what has been

gestures. Is it right to call her by such happening, that is all. When foreigners

signs ? may be one. Whatever you have come to learn dance they put in a lot of

in mind is wrong, if you ask me is effort. But their facial features are diffe- rent. Isn't bhava important for Bharata- another way of putting it. Here you may depict what goes through Krishna's natyam ? I think that needs a special

mind : What would be its outcome 7 You face-cut.

may show wonder. I am worried about "We must feel happy about more what all these would lead to may be number of people learning the art. But I another sentiment. Thus it was custo- must tell the truth. Lot of people learn to mary to elaborate on the theme imagina- dance out of fancy. And they learn from tively. A padam would last an hour. The all and sundry. Hence the quality is dil- musicians would also improvise. The uted. Perhaps four out of a hundred audience would sit patiently, watching come out well-trained. We have to with appreciation. The recital would last derive satisfaction from that. But some-

many hours. times good dancers give up the art. That

"Apart from what has been taught by is a very sad thing. Very sad indeed.

our elders, we must also teach from our "I welcome anyone teaching what she imagination to students who are capable. learnt from her guru. It is sufficient if one We must also train successors. Otherwise teaches faithfully what one has learnt in the proper manner. Then the art will both." the art will vanish. I have been doing survive."

Ramiah Pillai has not only helped We ask him to comment on the

quite a few youngsters to learn dance but change in dance since the days of Sadir

has given training to many in dance executed by the devadasis

music and nattuvangam also. Two of his He says : disciples, Gopalakrishnan and Sarasa, used to sing for the recitals. Both of them "Dancers who dedicated themselves

were very young at that time. It was to the art lived then. Such people are

pleasing to listen to them and their voices there now also. There were those then

used to blend well. Not only those who who took it up merely to earn a living.

learnt dance from him but also those Today also there are dancers who do the

who were singing for the rehearsals and same thing, no ?

performances by his disciples, later on "In those days thin sarees used to be

made a name for themselves as teachers. worn in "kaccham' style, tucked between Gopalakrishnan who was talented and My students are there in Calcutta too.

earned a good reputation as a dance Our people who live abroad come here the legs. The performers used to dance

to learn. There is this student Shobana. by gas light and petromax light. At wed- teacher died young. S.K. Rajarathnam and K.J. Sarasa have many students. But She is quite well-known in London. dings and in the temples the recital

Samraj goes to conduct her performan- would last not less than four hours. The Ramiah Pillai doesn't talk about them. ces. There is another student over there, performance would be at a sedate pace Probably he nurses a grievance because they left him. Radhika. Both teach there. A month so that the expressions came out promi- nently. There would be no set pro-

Hemamalini Arni is running a school before the arangetram they send their gramme. The nattuvanar would bid the

in Hyderabad. Samraj conducts the students here. To an extent they undergo dancer to perform whatever he fancied

arangetrams of her students. Hema, who some corrections, have their costumes stitched and get back to London for the and she would. There would be requests

learnt music from Mayavaram Krishna arangetram. Many girls have come to our from the audiences also. Dancing would

Iyer, herself sings. "I shall accept if school from Sri Lanka. Bharatanatyam is involve a lot of exertion on the part of

knowledgeable people teach," says the dancer. They would be strong and very popular all over the world. Nearly Ramiah Pillai. "I am, of course, proud of 30 of my students who have migrated to healthy. Do plenty of exercise to keep

my disciples. They have spread the Vaz- the West teach dance. They run schools. themselves fit. They would dance every-

huvoor bani. Many of those taking up this bani visit me. If there are mistakes I Their students also come a month before day and not get tired. Now you see

correct them. They do the old items in the arangetram for the final polishing." dancers retreating to the wings just after performing two or three items. It was not

front of me. They learn new items. Even He is genuinely happy at the ripple like that before. They would go in only

now they come. effect of his teaching. But, as if he is able after completing five or six items. Even if the varnam lasted two hours, they would "Komala Varadan, Kanaka and others to read our minds as we wonder whether dance non-stop and then only go in for started learning from a very young age by merely going abroad the dance could coffee. and learnt for seven to eight years. They be considered good, he adds : are in Delhi and have earned a good "I don't mean to say that it is some- "It is undeniably true that the art of

name. They teach as well as perform. thing great to dance abroad or to teach dance has improved in many respects since then. Many changes have taken 45

place, mostly for the better." must be given a monthly pension. It was But from what he tells us, it is clear decided that it should be an amount of that, during the days of Sadir, there were 50 rupees per month. Then it became 75 Ramiah Pillai travelled extensively in search of materials suitable for new dance those who earned and maintained rupees. In Kalaignar's [Karunanidhi's]

compositions. He visited numerous temples in respect and admiration for the art as well time it became 100 rupees. Under the the South. He also studied various authori- rule of Puratchi Talaivar [M.G. Rama- tative texts on dance deeply. Based on this as those who besmirched it. As there are

search and research, he composed many new today. Yet there was an attempt to put chandran] it has been increased to 150

dances. down dancing as a social evil, along with rupees.

According to Professor P. Sambamoorthi, the devadasi system. We ask him to "I suggested to Kalaignar that a lump

although these compositions have appeared comment. It was Dr. Muthulakshmi sum of 1000 rupees should be given to novel, they have really stayed true to estab- Reddy who led the attack with determi- those who were very poor. He agreed lished tradition and they have served to nation, he notes in his reply. Dr. Reddy and said, I will allocate one lakh rupees. underscore Ramiah Pillai's creative ability to show the old traditions in new light. herself belonged to the devadasi tradi- Deserving persons may be paid from the tion. He continues : "There are people at interest earned. He made arrangements In an article paying tribute to Ramiah Pillai all times who go wrong. Such people accordingly when the Tamil Isai Sangam of Madras con- ferred the title of 'Isai Perarignar' on him, were there before and are there now.

Sambamoorthi made the following additional Later on, what did they do about women "I have also been a member of the central Sangeet Natak Akademi. At that observations : who were acting in dramas ? What was time artists from all fields would come

· Kuravanji and other dance-dramas done about women acting in the

drawn from Tamil literature have gained cinema ? But dance itself has survived from all the States to receive the award.

beauty because of Ramiah Pillai's choreogra- the onslaught. Support for the art revived It would be pathetic to see many of

phic contributions. Furthermore, dances as some people did propaganda about them, very old and poverty stricken. I

the special features of the art. There was thought, of what use is the award to such which he composed for verses from Tevaram and Divya Prabhandam have become part people ? So I brought up a resolution and parcel of the repertoire of his disciples. a new demand. that they should be given a grant of He has also composed dances commendably "It was a golden age for the art when 10,000 rupees. The committee felt that Tor the songs of Muthutandavar, Marimutha Pillai, Vedanayagam Pillai, Gopalakrishna I began my career as a teacher of dance. the financial position was difficult to give

Bharati, Desigavinayakam Pillai, Oothukadu Artists came from respectable families effect to the resolution. Hence we deci-

Venkatasubba Iyer, Papanasam Sivan and which included excellent connoisseurs. ded to give 5000 rupees. But last year it others. The stigma vanished and the art came to was decided that 10,000 rupees would

. He has, besides, composed entirely on be regarded as divine. Such was the be given to the awardees. I received a

his own a few tillana-s, jatiswaram-s and environment. This was certainly the will communication saying that the proposal Tamil sabdam-s. of God. Since this is an art with good which I made when I was a member was now being implemented. I felt very . Because of his respect for the purity and traits, it came to be revered. The artists greatness of the Bharatanatyam art, Ramiah also came to be honoured happy. Pillai has, in the selection of the compositions for teaching to his disciples, preferred those "E. Krishna Iyer contributed much to

which emphasized the path of devotion. He the renaissance. He did considerable has justifiably earned a national reputation propaganda for Bharatanatyam. He pro- for eschewing vulgar and obscene elements. claimed that he himself danced. I have

T. Sankaran has pointed out that, as a seen a photo where he is seen dancing on result of his studies of treatises and temple a pot. He learnt from Madurantakam sculptures, Ramiah Pillai introduced many Jagadamba Amma. He was good in research too. He had a sound knowledge A Master's Humility karana-s and stanga-snewly in the dances he taught his disciples. of the art. He would highlight the good The Indian National Congress used points, but would also point out the to conduct annually an exhibition and flaws. He canvassed support for the art art festival on the Congress grounds

through writing in journals, through in Madras. In connection with this

speeches and by encouraging artists. event in 1948, it was decided to confer the title of 'Natyakala Chakravarti' on "When the Tamilnadu Eyal Isai Nat- Ramiah Pillai. When he learned about aka Manram was started, it was known it, the master from Vazhuvoor was as the Sangita Nataka Sangam. E. taken aback. He rejected the idea, Krishna Iyer was its Secretary. I was a saying: "Even the Cosmie Dancer of

member of it at that time. Right from the Chidambaram is called only Nata-raja.

time it was started I have been its How can I accept the title of Chakra-

member. I have also served as President. varti which denotes a higher posi-

You may ask me what I have achieved tion?" Respecting his sentiments, the organizers changed the title to by continuing there." 'Natyakala Kesari' and he accepted it. He does not wait for us to ask, but goes on. "I brought about a resolution that 46 artists who are old in age and are poor

"Similarly, it was I who introduced a giving importance to monetary benefits I vidwan of Ramanathapuram, has com- resolution that expert artists from various fields in Tamilnadu should be selected have taught several poor children. I have posed two songs in praise of Ramiah Pil- not taken any fees from them. I have lai. The following is their gist : every year and given awards. It was decided that such persons would be provided them with food and clothing

honoured with a medal and the title of and put them up in my house. This is Nataraja Murthy dwells forever besides Ramiah Pillai, who is revered by men of 'Kala Sikamani'. Later at the sugges- called 'Vidya dhaanam'. Many who

tion of Kalaignar, the title was changed learnt thus are famous today. They are knowledge. Wherever Ramiah goes, it quite well off. I feel supremely satisfied shall be prosperous with the blessings of to 'Kalaimamani'. when I see that. Some of them still have goddess Lakshmi.

These are what I consider as my guru bhakti and hold me in high regard. most important services in my life time. Some don't. The world is after all like AN OLD STUDENT

Mind you, either for my school or for that." Translated from Tamil by

myself I have not received any grant. Not Mahadeva Bharati, the samastana Sujatha Vijayaraghavan. (Second part of a two-part article]

A Tradition Carried Forward: Continuity As Well As Change

t has always been like that. 1 When one generation passes the his successor if he felt a change or He agrees that there is a pro- innovation introduced by the latter reins on to the next. the handed- strained the bani, and in general blem but says that even youngsters

making the benefit of his expe- innocent of understanding can be down tradition is carried forward taught to do abhinaya adequately. but subject to modifications, addi- rience available. It depends on the effectiveness of tions or deletions. Samraj inherited the gaddi when teaching, he adds. However, he

When Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai he was hardly 25 years old. He is a admits in the end, that the young-

took over the reins from his uncle vigorous 48 now-with a couple sters cannot be expected to reveal

Manicka Nattuvanar, he effected of decades of front-line experience the maturity of dancers who have

some changes which reflected his behind him. He has already pre- the capacity truly to understand

own research findings, percep- pared a successor in Palaniappan the lyrics.

tions, imagination and skills of his son of 23 years. The youngster innovation. He resurrected certain presently assists him in teaching Samraj prides himself on his

and has started conducting recitals. ability to teach effectively without aspects of dance which had been having to give a demonstration discarded by prior generations for He will take full-charge one day - and continue the tradition. except rarely. There was an occa- one reason or another. He reintro- sion in London, he recalls, when duced some disused teermanam-s and brought back the karana-s Change goes with continuity. he showed how he did this and there was much appreciation. In He rejects the implication of the criti-

into vogue. He introduced some Tradition, in order to survive, cism cited earlier and asserts that

ideas of his own too : adavu-s per- must make room for the creativity his view, an instructor should be

formed in the sitting and hall- of its new handlers and also able to give a dance student verbal performers can be trained to exe- instructions in a way the latter cute these adavujati-s effectively.

sitting postures. sculpturesque respond to the dynamics of chang ing environment in order to retain understands them and then, as the Dance students today are like poses, etc. He started using kriti-s student tries to follow, make for dance, e.g. Tyagaraja's Sadhin- its relevance. The trick, for its cus- necessary corrections. Judging by glowing embers which can be

chane. He choreographed new todians, is to accomodate the fanned to flame quickly, he con- changes while yet protecting the what we see on stage where many dances, especially to songs in Tamil, using Andal pasuram-s, performers seek to project one tinues. They are quick on the central core of the tradition. bhava or another but not seldom uptake. Implicitly he rejects the

Swati Tirunal's compositions for end up offering a caricature of it, frequently-voiced criticism that

dance and Bharati's poems. Samraj, too, has introduced gurus today rush their students to

Whether all these re-introductions, some changes and innovations. He we speculate aloud if students shouldn't be using mirrors for make their formal debuts-or

changes and innovations consti- feels they are for the better.

tuted 'improvements' is a subject although not everyone may agree learning and correcting mistakes. allow themselves to be persuaded

Samraj smiles and then explains to agree to premature debuts-by

on which there may be differences with this self-assessment. the comment to Ramiah Pillai who saying that, whereas it used to take

of opinion but, by his own assess- Samraj is, of course, quite proud hadn't heard it properly. Ramiah four or five years in the old days

ment, he did all these while yet of his inheritance. The Vazhuvoor Pilai also smiles. to take a student from the basics to

staying within the broad contours bani, he says, is a vibrant synthesis the arangetram stage, it now took

of the inherited Vazhuvoor tradi- of "attam' (natya) and abhinaya, We ask whether Samraj has not only about two years. Apparently

tion or bani. [SRUTI carried a "unlike the Pandanallur style stepped up the speed of adavu- the average student is that smart.

detailed discussion of the Vazhu- which emphasises the former and jati-s? There are critics who feel "Of course," adds he, "there are

voor bani in Issue 14 published in the Kanchipuram tradition which this has gone too far, so that many never-do-well students too."

December 1984]. lays stress on the latter." dancers find it difficult to project The significance of what he the Vazhuvoor bani's grace while asserts is all the more noteworthy Ramiah Pillai virtually retired We ask : Isn't it true, however, executing them. Samraj explains considering that the typical dance from full-time teaching and con- that very few dancers are good in that what he has done is to cho- student today is able to devote ducting in the early 1960's and. both aspects? Can little girls and reograph new jati korvai-s which. only one hour a day to taking les- from about 1965 onwards, Samraj sons and practising under the has been occupying the gaddi Pil- teenagers, who are hardly able to while yet retaining the kalaprama- understand the deeper meaning of nam or tempo of the earlier jati-s. guru's guidance. And that too not lai has, however, not completely the lyrics of dance compositions, require changes in the adavu-s. everyday of the week. Perhaps the withdrawn ; he has stayed on as especially those that deal with The net result is an impression of better dancers did work more an emeritus professor, giving gui- dance and suggestions, questioning sringara, be expected to do abhi- increased speed. There is more assiduously and practised for seve- naya well? viruviruppu, but not greater speed. ral hours a day. Students were 47

in training the students, they are my hands and fondle him, feed him she was picking up a heavy object not involved in the recital, can't milk and lull him to sleep-offers from the floor, with great effort, really be," he explains. "So, they an opportunity to choreograph a and was hurling it at the pitcher. I just keep time mechanically. They sanchari of this type. I introduced told her that won't do, that what are no better than machines that an upakatha-a side story-of Krishna's leelas or exploits. Did was needed to make a little hole in play tapes back because, if there is the pitcher was just a little stone. a lack of synchronization between anyone else do this before me? 1 She went up to my father and jati recitation and the performance don't think so. Anyhow, when I complained .... My point is, I do of the dancer, it is the dancer who presented this sanchari some 15 or welcome suggestions from my stu- has to adjust. Or else, they will 16 years ago, many said it should't dents but I can't accept them if have to start the sequence all over be done. There was opposition to they are not right. After all, the again. In these eircumstances, it is it. Now, of course, everybody does guru is responsible for what his the mridangam player to whom a this kind of thing." disciple does on stage." dancer looks for guidance. The We return to the subject of his mridanga vidwans are although I can't say they are equal good "Tyagaraja's Sadhinchane is another song to which this type of accomplishments again. "Oh, yes", he remembers suddenly. "I can to those of the past who showed sanchari has been composed." he adds. "For the line 'Devaki Vasu- lake credit for teaching different greater finesse in playing the drum deva kula'. By the way, there were disciples to interpret the same for the dance." compositions in different ways. He now reverts to the subject of objections to this too, for using a

jati-s. kriti for a dance. My point, how- My father didn't do it, I started

ever, is that it is all right to take up doing this. This is not a case merely of making allowances for "The jati-s of the Vazhuvoor this kriti, or any other for that school are very intricate,"he says, matter, for a dance so long as the the different endowments of differ-

explaining that this has always nattuvanar and the dancer execule ent students. What I have sought

been that way. "While the nattu- it with bhakti. You know, MS to do is deliberately to show how a single composition can be inter- vanars of other schools"-he in [Subbulakshmi] saw this item per- preted in many different ways. 1 fact says there are really only two formed some three or four years bani-s, those of Vazhuvoor and ago and later told us that she was think the results have been very

struck with wonder by it." satisfactory." Pandanallur-"recite the jati-s samam to samam, we recite them Samraj now tells us about the We suggest it should be very from samam to edam. Try asking dances he has choreographed for interesting to view, in one go, the others to do this. Why, even those the compositions of Oothakadu different interpretations projected who sit in front rows at our per- Venkatasubba Iyer and Periasami on a video screen. formances and try keeping count Thooran. "It was I who first cho- Jayanthi Rajagopal give up after a while. In 1983, I Samraj isn't finished with his think that was the year, I con- reographed the dance for Oothu- forced to do so by great nattu- kadu's Ananda Natana Ganapari comments on Chitra yet. Presently ducted a recital of Jayanthi Raja- bhavaye," he informs, with a note this has to do with the way she vanars in the old, old days. gopal at the Kapaleeswarar Tem- of anger replacing pride as he was projected as the standard-

Whether a student turns ouf to ple in Mylapore, here in Madras. adds : "But Chitra [Visweswaran] bearer of the Vazhuvoor bani in

be a really accomplished dancer Haridwaramangalam A.K. Palani- has been claiming credit for it. It one segment of the series on

depends not only on her learning vel provided rhythm accompani- was the last dance she learnt from parampara in dance telecast

capacity and dedication but also ment on the tavil. I've a video recording of it. It shows how the me. Soon as she completed learn- recently. "First, the narrator gave

on the guru, Samraj continues. ing it, she stopped learning from high praise to my father." he

Every guru must be getting good. hands of even knowledgeable per- recounts. "Then the film showed

bad and indifferent students but sons in the audience froze in me conducting my disciple Jayan-

only some gurus succeed in pro- midair as they found it difficult to "By the way, it was I who thi Rajagopal in a dance. Then,

ducing outstanding performers, keep track of the tala structure." laught Chitra mostly, not my abruptly, the scene cut to Chitra

while others churn out mediocri- father," he continues. "But she who, by remaining silent on a

ties Quite intricate this, it seems, wouldn't acknowledge it. The point made by the commentator. though apparently it doesn't affect same is the case with L. Vijaya- gave rise to the impression that she A note of regret creeps into his the dance itself. lakshml. It is like that with many." and her school were the torch- voice as he says this, While only a He seems hurt. As we understand bearers of the Vazhuvoor bani. I small percentage of learners can be We ask : What are his contribu- tions to the Vazhuvoor tradition? it. he does most or all of the teach- think she manouvred the whole expected to be classy, he observes, He now lists them. The first of ing. his more famous father is thing." It is a pity that many who show course is the chorcographing of given all the credit by the students great potential drop out along the new adavujati-s which give the (presumably for selfish reasons) This is his interpretation of

way, for one reason or other. the telccast. "But T am happy to impression of speeding up the and he, the son, is treated like he is only a ghost. Father, Son aind the have many of my father's disciples He asserts that the situation is dance. This muxt be an improve- made worse by "body-snatchers'. ment inasmuch as an old eriticism Ghost-that's the way it was, and my own keeping the Vazhu- though it is no longer so. "It's voor bani upfrout," he says on a gurus who entice good students has been that while the Vazhuvoor note of reconcitiation. away from a compelent master by nattuvanars recited fast jati-s, the human nature. I suppose," he dancers didn't execute them sylla- sighs. We ask him about his disciples- offering all kinds of inducements. Many promising students have ble for syllable, with the result there was an apparent discrepancy Remembering a question we had those who explicitly acknowledged

ended up in blind alleys by suc- asked about his attitude to disci- him as the master. Can he name

cumbing to such blandishments, between the tempos maintained by ples giving their own ideas on how those who have come up well?

he adds. the twa. a dance may be executed, he now

He also voices regret at the What else? Sanchari-s, yes. He talks about it, using an incident He hesitates a bit and then men-

practice of various dancers of has pioneered the practice of involving Chitra as an illustration. tions Jayanthi Rajagopal, Jayan-

"It was when I was teaching her thasri Rajaram, Radha Venkatra-

enlisting the services of ad hoc interspercing discrete stories in the Nee inda mayam I was show- man, Sathya and Sobhana Jaisingh sanchari-s, he claims. "In Papana- conductors for their recitals. There sam Sivan's Enna tavam seidanai, ing her what to do to depict (who is in London.)

are more thattuvanars-those the line "kaiyil yendi, secratti, Krishna making a hole in the milk They too carry the flag for the who just keep time-than nattu- palooti, talatta, enna tavam pitcher hanging above. She said Vazhuvoor tradition, as do-as vanars today, he says. "Since these did-his father's famous disciples. conductors have not been involved seidanal'-what good deeds did I 48 do to deserve to take [Krishna] in she had an idea how to do it. Demonstrating it, she made believe N. PATTABHI RAMAN

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VAZHUVOOR RAMIAH PILLAI

Sruti

INDIA'S PREMIER MAGAZINE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

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