The 80th year celebration of Nrithodaya, the dance school founded by the late K. Subramanyam got off to a colourful start on Friday evening.
Padma Subrahmanyam, Bharatanatyam exponent and president of Nrithyodaya recollected how her father and film director K Subrahmanyam started Nrithyodaya eight decades ago. “When my father was planning to do a film called ‘Narthana Murali’ based on ‘Bhagavatham’, the second world war broke out. Most of the families left Madras and when my father had to leave, he called all the artists who were practising for the film and asked them to go to their native places. Because of the bond they had with my father, they refused to leave and travelled with him to Papanasam. He made them teach music and dance to the children of the village. When they returned to Madras after a few months, he wanted to start an institution with them and that’s how Nrithyodaya was born,” she said.
Madhusudan Sai, founder of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, said music, dance, poetry and literature were ways in which patriotism spread across the country even to the smallest of villages. “Be it the songs of Bharathiyar or works of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee or writings of Mahatma Gandhi and many others, from music to storytelling through folk arts and other cultural presentations, patriotism spread rapidly. We have to remember acclaimed film director K. Subrahmanyam now, who was a great patriot in his own way and was contributing to the betterment of the country and to the freedom movement. He left a legacy,” he said.
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, president of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) said, as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, ICCR will invite foreigners who excel in Indian dance forms to perform on January 26 and also recognise them with an award. “To honour the contribution of K. Subrahmanyam, we will name the award given for Bharatanatyam after him,” he said.
Three books authored by Ms. Subrahmanyam were also released during the occasion. Revathi Ramachandran, director of Kalakshetra, also spoke at the event.
