Responses to
Vidwan Guru
Muthukumaran Pillai:
Stalwart
and saint of Bharatanatyam
- Ashish Mohan Khokar, Bangalore
e-mail: khokar1960@gmail.com
Based on archival materials from
The Mohan Khokar Dance Collection
*
Sept 1, 2009
My good friend Ashish Mohan Khokar's
write-up on Kattumannarkoil Muthukumaran Pillai is quite interesting revealing
many facets of the artiste's life. The bani of Kattumannarkoil style is
also described well. I understand that he did not approve of the commonly-followed
saushtava sthanaka with a slight forward bent of the torso. He wanted the
dancer to stand erect. I have heard that if a student did not follow this
stance 'thatha' would strike his or her back with the tattukkazhi to make
it straight! Ashish may be able to throw some light on the veracity of
this statement.
- A Seshan, Mumbai |
*
Sept 5, 2009
Sri Seshan's story seems interesting
and part of "urban legends" that so pervade reconstruction of histories
(of gurus and dance legends). While both the guru's senior most disciples
(Ram Gopal and Rukmini Devi Arundale) are not around to verify, I checked
again with my mother, Guru MK Saroja, Tatha's prime disciple, and she was
appalled by even the idea of the guru beating anyone with the tattukkazhi
for not maintaining the desired postures for correct lines
and deliveries. She felt such stories may garnish dance tales but at times
also tarnish facts. History is made of either recorded evidence or literary
or archaeological or numismatic sources. In case of recent dance history,
it is easy to mix names and places and stories and facts. I'm glad narthaki
is visited by all ages and a senior like Sri Seshan reads my column and
reverts with interesting points. Many thanks for your sharing. Discussion,
after all, is the basis of our democracy!
- Ashish Mohan Khokar
|
*
Sept 6, 2009
I thank Ashish for taking time off
his busy schedule to verify the statement made by me. Documentation of
facts about artistes was neglected for a long time in our country leading
to the generation of gossips and unverified incidents in their lives. Dance
historians like Ashish, magazines like Sruti and websites like narthaki.com,
kanakasabha.com, kutcheribuzz.com,
carnatica.com, etc., help in rectifying the situation. I also did not believe
in the story about thatha knowing the kindly image that he projected.
I would only like to bother Ashish
to confirm that the Kattumannarkoil bani believes in keeping the torso
in an erect position in soushtava sthanaka and not bent, as is observed
in some dancers of other schools. Also does it discourage side-glance (Saachi
Drushti), as stated by one dancer in a TV interview a few years ago?
What impressed me in the pictures
of the late maestro was his wiry physical frame. He must have led a disciplined
life and done yogic exercises to maintain the body in such a strong condition.
It recalled to my mind the image of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the Olympian
of Odissi. I attended his performance at the Shanmukhananda Sabha in Mumbai
a few years ago when he was in his late seventies. Besides his well-acknowledged
artistry his strong physical presence was felt by the audience. In particular,
I was amazed by the ease with which he could get off from a seated position
like dancers young enough to be his granddaughters without placing his
palms on the floor for support. This is something I cannot do although
younger than him! It is time dancers of both genders learn the importance
of keeping the body continuously in a trim condition for a long and successful
innings in their professional career. Now they have role models in C V
Chandrasekhar and Alarmel Valli.
- A Seshan |
*
Sept 6, 2009
Sri Seshan is very kind and correct
in his observations. Yes, the great guru Thatha kept a healthy body in
which resided a very creative, healthy mind. This is also partly because
of his spiritual regimen and observance of brahmacharya vrata (celibacy)
from as early an age as 27 and which, he maintained till his end at 86
years of age. He ate frugally, walked miles and did japa-puja for nearly
4 hours from 3am to 7am. He kept this regimen right till his end years.
And photos just cannot lie (though in this digitalised age they can be
altered!) but the great guru's frame was taut and tight. Mrinalini amma
has said in a recorded interview to me, that she could, as a youngster,
swing by his outstretched arms, so strong was he! His model should certainly
inspire modern day gurus, teachers and dancers and Seshan-ji is right that
very few like the great Kelubabu, Chandra sir and Valli-ma follow that
regimen and it shows! In their art, body and dance.
As to two technical points, the guru
is on record (in Mohan Khokar's booklet published in 1964 by SNA), that
the guru did not see dance in compartments and thus while the torso was
erect to maintain correctness of thigh muscles he did not curtail the usage
of Sacchi Drishti where warranted. It should not look un-natural or un-pleasing
was his mool-mantra. Most of his principal disciples do follow yatho hasta
tatho drishti principle. Any film on them proves that. (The bent torso
version according to available direct sources is the easy way out! Try
it! By doing so, while the body weight is distributed and stress reduced
from spine, it also leads to less flexion of upper legs. I've done and
seen it practically when I learnt from my guru Swarna Saraswati and her
student Shanta Raghvan at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Delhi). I think, the
guru was more keen in Bharatanatyam as a whole, and saw it truly as a flowing
river and not a pool or pond. Unlike some later generations (of gurus and
dancers), who spoke more of "created banis" to perhaps look different or
score trivial points over whose guru was better or greater than theirs,
Thatha and his ilk just carried on with their mission of promotion of the
form, rather than worry about what they created, banis or otherwise. For
him and his generation of gurus, who had to reinstate and revive the art
and teach it to urban students, the art form was more important than even
themselves. Art is greater than all of us. And real gurus always teach
that. I wish I had met the guru myself and learnt more about Sri Seshan's
questions directly from the Master, but I was just born in 1960 when the
great guru passed away the same year.
- Ashish Mohan Khokar |
*
Sept 7, 2009
Thank you once again, Ashish, for
the wealth of information you have provided on the late maestro and his
bani that is not easily available elsewhere. Thanks also to narthaki.com
for providing a forum to share such ideas.
- A Seshan |
|
