Guru Girija

If there is one state in India that can be really proud of multiple dance traditions coexisting through the centuries, it is Kerala. From the classical dance forms like Kathakali and Mohiniyattam to theatrical dances like Ottanthullal, to folk traditions like Theyyam, all of these have thrived in one state. On one side you have the world’s oldest living Sanskrit theatre tradition of Koodiyattam thriving in remote pockets of Moozhikulam and Irinjalakuda and on the other there are theatre groups with strong political agendas addressing modern issues. In addition to dance forms originating in the state, other performing arts such as Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi from neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, have gained popularity over the years.

But this was not the case half a century ago. Except for the famous Kerala Kalamandalam and a couple of other smaller institutes, Kerala did not have this extensive culture of dancers, dance institutions and dance gurus. Students who wanted to pursue other dance forms had to go to Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. The successive communist governments of the state also did not do much to encourage these traditional performing arts. In fact, they even withdrew any existing help over a period of time. Due to such conditions, several prominent artists chose to migrate. Those who stayed back had to struggle and find other means of support, be it financial aid or institutional support. It was no surprise that many dancers from Kerala found gurus elsewhere and blossomed into eminent performers.

Despite these problems, one woman in Thiruvananthapuram has been solely responsible for spreading awareness about dance for more than half a century. Girija Chandran, fondly called Girija Teacher or Girija cheychi (sister).

Girija was one of seven children born to R Sivasankara Pillai and CP Malathi Ammal in 1951. “This girl will be famous in arts and culture” an astrologer who saw the jatakam of Girija had said about her. She came from a family of academicians. Her father was a Sanskrit and Tamil scholar and ran an institute with an impressive library in a remote village in Kanyakumari. During the mid 1950s, Pillai became a victim to the clashes between communities such as Nadars, Gounders and Thevars, forcing her family to flee to Trivandrum. Girija’s maternal grandmother CP Bharathi Ammal was also a Sanskrit scholar popular for her flawless rendering of the Sriman Narayaneeyam and her maternal grandfather was the first president of the Kathakali club of Trivandrum. He wrote a number of plays which are performed to this day. “My grandfather Gopala Pillai was a stickler for time,” recalls Girija. “My grand uncle Parameshwara Pillai was the first and only President of India awardee for English drama. He was an expert on everything Shakespeare.” Growing up in such a family, it was obvious Girija took a natural affiliation towards arts and literature.

Girija’s father encouraged all his daughters to learn dancing. She was very clear she wanted dance as a career for life. Her initial training began under guru Kalakshetram Bhaskar and guru Sucheendram MM Pillai in Kerala. “I told my father I didn’t want any government job. Actually, back then I really needed a job. My father was the only earning member of the family supporting seven children and my mother. But he was very understanding and encouraged me to pursue my passion,” she says. “While my sister was a performer, I was more interested in learning and teaching. My sister won the famous Kalatilakam award from the university three times in a row. I was way too thin physically so I decided that I would not make a good performer. I decided I will learn as much as I can and then teach. I found my passion in teaching dance!” she adds. As Trivandrum hardly had any facilities back then, Girija decided to travel to Madras (now Chennai) to learn Bharatanatyam.

She and her sister also travelled to Madras to receive training under Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai, a famous choreographer who had worked in hundreds of movies and had promoted the Vazhuvoor bani (style) of Bharatanatyam. Pillai was also the guru of Lalita, Padmini and Ragini, or the “Travancore sisters”, who were ruling the silver screen then.

Pillai was a tough task master. Despite his hectic schedule of handling film choreography, he completed a full traditional margam for Girija and her sister in two years. “We would ask vadyaar [teacher] to give us recordings so we can practice when he was not around. He would give us audio cassettes with all the dance music. Except that, all through you could only hear a dog barking,” recollects Girija. Pillai had pet Pomeranian dogs and they inevitably barked every time he sat down to record something. “I still have that cassette. I have got it converted to a CD and later digitised it so I can keep it for posterity,” says Girija laughing.

Classes under Pillai did not go on for too long, nor did the tapes with his dogs barking into them. “He was a great guru, no doubt, but we didn’t have the freedom to ask him anything,” says Girija. “We just had to learn whatever he taught at his own mood and fancy. I was not feeling too comfortable in such an environment though I had already been learning from him for four years.” As a result, she had to find other gurus. She could not stay for long in Madras and packed her bags and returned home. Her ever-supportive father continued to encourage her. Those years, Kalakshetra founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale was a growing epicentre for arts and culture. Several legendary musicians and dance gurus lived and worked as permanent staff in the institution. It was the obvious choice for Girija and her sister.

Guru Adyar K Lakshman was one of the protégés of Rukmini Devi Arundale. He was a staff member at Kalakshetra and was already popular outside as a generous guru. Girija and her sister sought his mentorship. “He was warm and welcoming. He didn’t judge us for anything. His wife who we called amma was really like a mother to us. There we stayed for the next six years. He taught us everything with a lot of patience—from Alarippu and Jatiswaram to some of the most treasured pieces in his large repertoire,” remembers Girija. Lakshman trained a number of dancers like Bragha Bassell, Roja Kannan and Jayanthi Subramanyam. He was one of the most seasoned gurus from Kalakshetra.

Girija and her sister also studied under the famous Kuchipudi guru Vempati Chinna Satyam who ran a huge academy in Chennai and has trained some of the finest stars of the dance form. “In a day we would spend the morning in Vempati master’s academy. He didn’t charge a single rupee from us. My sister used to learn while I sat and observed. Every single day for five hours! Over a period of time, I ended up learning more Kuchipudi than her. I also taught my students so many of the items Vempati master taught us”
she recalls.

Girija and her sister returned to Trivandrum after learning from Vempati. Girija then founded the Regatta Cultural Society in 1972. For those curious about this unusual name, Regatta is the traditional boat race event famous in Kerala. Much like the name, Girija’s institution has raced ahead of everyone in the field. Over the last five decades, Regatta has become a go-to reference point for anything to do with Indian classical dance and music in the capital city of Kerala. “This name became so famous that we could hardly change it. We changed it to Regatta Natya Sangeetha Kendra only recently. But all the old people still call it by the old name.”

Girija got married in 1980 and settled down in Trivandrum for good. Before 1985, there was no Kuchipudi in Kerala. It was Girija who introduced the dance form. Ever since, hundreds of students of Kuchipudi, the kalatilakams and kalapratibhas, have graduated from there.

Some of the most famous Mohiniyattam dancers have emerged from Regatta and through the training of guru Girija Chandran. Over the last half a century, Regatta has trained a record of over one lakh students. A record no other guru or institution can probably claim. For the institute’s 50th anniversary, almost all the students showed up, filling the massive Nishagandhi Auditorium in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram. Dancers like Gopika Varma, Neena Prasad and Methil Devika have performed across the world taking the name of Regatta international. There are many more. In addition to these students is Girija’s adopted daughter Madhavi Chandran who is equally talented. An excellent Mohiniyattam dancer, Madhavi is also an ace flute artist, and handles the affairs at Regatta when not teaching children.

Today Regatta is one of the premier institutions for dance in Kerala and the foremost in the capital city of Trivandrum. In addition to providing arts education and dance training to hundreds of students, the institute also provides employment to parents of hundreds of children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Several parents are trained in tailoring and other backstage work for dance performances. Regatta is also the only dance school that gives free training in classical dance to hundreds of students who hail from economically backward communities.

“If one is economically backward, it should not be the reason for them to not be culturally empowered,” says Girija. In addition to training dancers, Girija also conducts teacher-training programmes with her eminent alumni and absorbs them as staff in Regatta.

The institution is large scale by all means. It currently has five branches just in Thiruvananthapuram and are expanding by the year. Just their costume department occupies a whole multi-storied building. Their tailoring unit employs women from economically challenged background. Regatta conducts two major festivals every year—the Girhanyika festival and the Regatta Natya Sangeetolsavam. It also conducts regular workshops with visiting eminent dancers. Regatta raises funds for its events every single year.

The dancers of Regatta are the first to be called for any important event in Kerala, be it the inaugural of national dance festivals like Nishagandhi or award ceremonies.

I visited Regatta on Vijayadashami. The road leading to the institute was chock-a-block with cars. Hundreds of children and their parents waited in long queues outside the gate all the way down the road, making one wonder if it was a temple darshan line. Inside the building sounds of the Thattukazhi (a dance conductor’s stick) kept beating away in a series of rhythm. You could hear students giggling in the inside rooms. Batches of students came, prostrated before the idols of gods placed in a small hall and began to dance as a symbolic gesture. In the middle of all this chaos is Girija cheychi—instructing her students, trying to attend a phone call—even while some senior students are trying to get her to pose for a selfie. On the other side, her daughter Madhavi is seen handing out tambulam to students who are making an exit. “Only once a year I take new students. On this Vijayadashami day,” says Girija, even as she tries to make a few freshers stand in the aramandi pose and gives them instructions to take their first steps in dance. She is tired but determined to continue her work.

Despite her noteable contribution to the arts and culture scene of Kerala for the last five decades, no recognition has come her way. “I have seen so many governments come and go. Nobody has ever helped. They have only demanded shows. For any big official events, we are the first to get a phone call. Nobody else can put together a show with a hundred dancers at a short notice. Often, we have to chase them for payments. It is very tiring. I would rather concentrate on my teaching and my students,” she adds. Notwithstanding all this, guru Girija Chandran continues to work tirelessly. “Ideally, I would love to start a whole new university for dance here. Maybe one day it might happen,” she says. Even without any formal recognition, Regatta is already doing the work that many university departments do not. Gurus like Girija are an inspiration, she is a real Karma Yogi.

classical dancedanceGirija ChandranKalamandalamKeralaMohiniyattam