Delhi girl Mrinalini Nair, a student of Ramjas School, R.K. Puram, created history by becoming the only student in the country to take Kathakali as a subject in the All India Senior School Certificate (AISSCE) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education Examination in the current academic session. She has not only cleared the exam with flying colours but has scored a hefty 97 per cent in her exam. Pursuing her Kathakali training from the International Centre for Kathakali (ICK), Qutub Institutional Area, Mrinalini cleared her Class XII (Commerce stream) with an aggregate of 90.5% and a towering best of four with a percentage of 94.75%.
On being asked about her overwhelming feat, she grinned and said: “Initially, it was a shock for me. I couldn’t believe that I was the only one to do so”.
On a more nostalgic noted, she added: “I was always in awe of the grandeur and richness of the form. I adore my brother performing on stage, so I took the step forward and the rest is history.”
Harish Kumar, the proud father, of the girl said: “She started learning Kathakali at the age of 12 and has managed to do decently in a short-span of time. Being working parents, I am content that my child has always been independent and has multi-tasked well with studies and her practice schedules.”
Mrinalini is at the moment enjoying the limelight but is grounded and owes it to many in the journey – her principal for allowing her to take Kathakali as a subject for the Board examinations “when it wasn't even taught as a subject in the school”; and her dance guru and the institute.
Mrinalini believe that “the arduous and stylised classical dance form of Kerala needs to be popularised more across the world like other classical dances of India” and insists that more students from ICK and others centres should appear for CBSE class XII Kathakali examinations as it affirms acceptance and recognition to their hard work and training.
She plans to carve out a niche in the field by opening her own academy.
