Unswerving loyalty to tradition

Bharatnatyam as practised today is not what was handed down by illustrious ancestors, says Jeevaratnamala who was trained by the Pandanallur legend. NANDINI RAMANI meets the veteran artiste.

MARRIAGE OR dance - the dilemma troubled the mind of a promising young danseuse belonging to a traditional dancing community. The mother took a firm decision that her daughter would not be dedicated to the temple as was the custom but would lead a normal life like any other Hindu woman. The mother was T. A. Rajalakshmi of the famous Kalyani Sisters from the reputed Tiruvalaputtur dance heritage. Jeevaratnamala was the talented daughter and the grand daughter of Tiruvalaputtur Kalyani Ammal, illustrious exponent of Bharatanatyam.

It was a mixture of joy and sorrow as the story was narrated by the 59-year-old dancer, who received accolades from no less a person than Kalki Krishnamurti, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar and E. Krishna Iyer. ``It was Sangita Kalanidhi Musiri Subramania Iyer who presided over my Arangetram in 1950 which took place at the Rasika Ranjani Sabha (Chennai) fondly recalls Jeevaratnamala as she recollects her glorious years as a promising star in the firmament of Bharatanatyam between 1950 and 1965.

``I sometimes feel that probably it was because of my mother's decision that my artistic career did not flourish. Nor could I settle down in life the way my mother wanted me to. But I have accepted it as God's will and dedicated myself to the members of my family. After all not everybody will get an opportunity to make a sacrifice, she said pleasantly. Jeevaratnamala must have derived this mental strength and generosity from her father, T. S. Ramabhadra Odayar, a veteran Congressman who encouraged his daughter's talent but stood firm that she should not fall victim of a social custom. Odayar was not only a friend of many leading Congressmen of his time like VOC but also was a fine patron of arts.

Kalyani Ammal of Tiruvalaputtur (Tiru Val Oli Puttur) was one of the most famous exponents of the Pandanallur style. Her daughters, Rajalakshmi and Jeevaratnam, known as the Kalyani daughters were renowned artistes. With this background, Jeevaratnamala commenced her training at the tender age of five under her own uncle, T. K. Swaminatha Pillai who was a disciple of Pandanallur Sri Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai. After three years of training, Jeevaratnamala was blessed with a direct touch of the grand master of Pandanallur and had rigorous training under ``Thatha'' for eight continuous years. She blossomed into a fine artiste and in a span of 15 years presented over 200 performances all over India, including the Madras Music Academy (1953), Chennai.

``Once I was dancing for an elite audience at the Nupur Club in Bombay in the mid-1950s. Eminent persons including the late Morarji Desai and Bhulabhai Desai had assembled. When I finished the Varnam with all its intricate technicalities in a tempo that created such an impact, a man in the audience came forward to congratulate me and said that he became breathless watching me do the Varnam in that kala pramana, fulfilling to the best, the aspects of pure and interpretative dance. He went on to say that if only he had seen me earlier, I would have been the heroine of the film `Jhanak Jhanak Payal Bhaje!''' Yes, it was Gopi Krishna who was stunned by her excellent artistry, and openly acknowledged it!

``Did you get to see the classic movie when it was released''? ``Of course! with the complimentary tickets received from A. K. Ramachandra Iyer (of Midland theatre), my father took me to the movie.'' Several opportunities came from producers of films one of which was ``Thangamalai Rahasyam.'' But Ramabhadra Odayar was determined that cinema was not for his daughter.

It was interesting to listen to Jeevaratnamala on various details of her training under Pandanallur Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai. Natyaarambham started off on the basic teiya tei on the spread out paddy grains, while a long stick was held by two other traditional dancers on either side, with the teacher and the taught in the centre. The sadir vilakku was lit throughout the session. ``Thatha taught both nritta and abhinaya but he never used to conduct the recitals for me. It was always his son Sri Muthiah Pillai who conducted nattuvangam for my recitals, accompanied by my maternal uncle A. Krishnamurti Pillai on the violin. At least ten variations were taught for each hasta viniyoga. Totally I learnt three full margams which I danced all along.''

``What's wrong in repeating items? It is like meditation,'' Jeevaratnamala asserts when asked about variety in solo items and the changing trends in Bharatanatyam. Age and experience are two important factors in development of a full-fledged artiste, she feels. Maintaining a perfect physique is equally important, she adds. It was joy watching her, at this age, managing all the nuances of the adavus.

Identifying the salient features of the Pandanallur style, Jeevaratnamala sprang up spontaneously to perform a sharp crisp opening theermanam of a Jatiswaram reciting it by herself - a perfect araimandi and the leaps to the front in the typical Pandanallur fashion were exquisitely executed with fine resounding endings of di-di-teis. The speciality of this tradition lies in the important aspects of the gripping technical quality, the sharp jatis and above all the ``usi'' touch to most of the technical portions which Jeevaratnamala demonstrated like the flash of a lightning. It was astonishing to watch the enormous strength, memory and perfection in execution that she could achieve.

Her demonstrations though brief, spoke volumes of her deep initial training and strict adherence to the chosen tradition.

Sadly there is no active member of the Tiruvalaputtur family to continue this rich traditional treasure, except Radhika Pillai, the niece of Jeevaratnamala. She holds a Master's degree in Bharatanatyam and a diploma in Nattuvangam from the University of Baroda, where she runs a school named after her great grandmother Kalyani Ammal.

What does Jeevaratnamala feel about the present day Bharatanatyam scene? ``I watch a lot of Bharatanatyam in the television. Most of it does not represent the real art as given to us by our ancestors. What is wrong in preserving age old traditions as such?'' she wonders. Why did she not engage herself in teaching her glorious sampradaya to the younger generation? Jeevaratnamala answered, ``Well, as I told you earlier probably it was Divine Will that brought an end to my bright career. With my father's passing away, all the doors were closed for me. I realise now that many singers or those who were beginning to learn singing and dancers, all of whom I have known from my young days at Thatha's place, their children or students are dance gurus or performers. I feel I cannot fit into that scene.''

``Do you think that Bharatanatyam today is not of good standard?'' ``I do not want to distinguish by saying good or bad; for me the purity of standard is maintained only through adhering to a single sampradaya from the beginning to the end of a dancing career. These days, so many combinations, innovations and interactive approaches are aimed at. Can you identify a handful of young dancers who have adhered to a strict discipline in the way I refer to. My idea of dedication and loyalty to one's own tradition is entirely different from what I find today''.

True, it requires in-depth training, the right attitude and above all an inner strength to have a single minded devoted artistic pursuit.

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