Performing artistes who leave an indelible mark on audience by virtue of their chaste adherence and practise of the art form are never forgotten even if they were to eschew their medium of expression with time and age as hindering factors. And if one were to be a guru as well, then there is nothing to stop them from moving upwards on the popularity chart.
Sumathy Kaushal is one such artiste who became synonymous with Kuchipudi at a time when this genre was taking its first steps into classicality. Having made Los Angeles her home away from home, she flew down to Hyderabad on the invitation of her many admirers who wished to felicitate her on her 77th birthday on February 20.
“I think this was a Godsend, for whoever thought that people in my own land remember me still, let alone admire me enough to celebrate my birthday! It’s my most memorable birthday to date what with being in the presence of the Lord of Seven Hills in Tirupati thanks to Nada Neerajanam precisely on that day! I came to learn later that the dates had been adjusted to accommodate my programme and this was purely co-incidental. I couldn’t have asked for more. I feel so fulfilled and content,” says a visibly happy Sumathy.
In Hyderabad, it was an ‘overwhelming’ response with a capacity audience including the who’s who of the city at a glittering ceremony organised by Vamsee Arts International Foundation, by one of the oldest arts and culture organisations. On the occasion she was honoured with a silver crown. On the heels of this, is one more event at Bangalore.
An overwhelmed Sumathy says, “What makes it so memorable is that people haven’t forgotten me as a dancer though I left India aeons ago. Many of the veterans seated in the front rows came up to me just to tell me how they remember my Satyabhama portrayal and so on. For a moment, it seemed to me that time had frozen and I have really not aged during all those long years. Though I do make it a point to come to India it is more the umbilical chord pull than anything else. This sort of love and affection is most unexpected. And I’m human to feel humble as well as happy in the superlative.”
Sumathy has many a memory to cherish of her days in Andhra Pradesh. After the formation of the State then, the Telugu leaders had shown great interest in promoting Kuchipudi dance form as representational of their land and the young dancer Sumathy, by then well into the field, was like a brand ambassador. Trained in the Gurukul system by eminent gurus Vedantam Lakshminarayana Sastry, Vedantam Jagannatha Sarma, Chinta Krishnamurthy in Kuchipudi, she went on to learn Bharatanatyam from K.J. Sarasa and also trained in Odissi under guru Pankaj Charan Das. “Unlike common apprehensions, the three styles only helped to evolve into a wholesome artiste because all the gurus were rigid classicists and to date I’m a purist who believes in handing down tradition with no compromises whatsoever.”
Her school Nritya Shikara celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the US in 2015. “It was actually started in Hyderabad in 1965 by veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao who continued to be its president till his last. And actor Venkatesh was my first boy student. He came all the way to Los Angeles to be with us for the jubilee year! I have two wonderful sons who are so encouraging in all my endeavours; my son Adarsh plays the sitar too and a daughter-in-law in actress Bhanupriya who is a beautiful dancer too. Now I have a grand-daughter. Let’s see if she takes up dance like us! That would be awesome!” Sumathy is starry-eyed at the mention of her family. Once back in the US it would again be teaching, choreographing and caring for her home, she smiles as she signs off.
Accolades and awards
The famed ‘Satyabhama jada’ was presented to her by none other than Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma for her presentation of ‘Bhamakalapam’.
Fellowship by AP Nritya Academy for contribution in the field of dance at TANA conferences at Chicago, USA for 1981, ’93 and ’95.
She figured as Kuchipudi dancer in Films Division of India’s documentary in colour.
Titles
Shane-e-Hyderabad’ by Hyderabad Art Lovers Association.
‘Nritya Kala Praveena’ by Thyagaraja Gana Sabha.
Vamsee Art Theatres awarded ‘Nritya Kala Siromani’.
Accomplishments
On the board of accredited universities in India in various capacities.
Authored Kuchipudi Natya Darpanam a book on dance
Created choreographies like Devi Vaibhavam, Guru Neerajanam, Dasavatharamulu .
‘I’m in awe of her’
Bhanupriya (actor)
“As a daughter-in-law I admire her for her energetic and active persona, whatever be her age. She is such a positive person and naturally an inspiration to me. As a guru, she is disciplined and I’m in awe of her. Though I have been a dancer all these past years, after joining her, I learnt to appreciate the changes she would suggest which were so minute that any other aspirant with less finer sensibilities than ‘attamma’ is bound to give it a miss! I wonder at her penchant for detail, the finer nuances that she can detect and apply. After marriage, I have learnt a lot on the dance front from her; she fine-tuned my dance and I’m keen to go on stage all set and perfect!”
