Mani Madhava Chakyar

Quotes

• ““At least Bharatanatyam is now world famous, with thousands of new votaries. What about Koodiyattam?.....I have done what I can. It has not been easy. One has to sacrifice a lot to learn Koodiyattam. How many persons will be ready for it these days? Will there be an audience capable of imbibing it? ” -Shri. Māni Mādhava Chākyār to famous Bharatanatyam dancer Rukmini Dev Arundale, while latter visitited Guru at his residence”
• “"My own people condemned my action (performing Koothu and Kutiyattam outside the precincts of the temples), Once, after I had given performances at Vaikkom, they even thought about excommunicating me. I desired that this art should survive the test of time. That was precisely why I ventured outside the temple" - Guru about the difficulties he had faced from hardliners when he tok Koothu and Kutiyattam outside the temples and performing it for common man.”
• ““Mani Madhava Chakyar when he portrayed Arjuna on the first evening and Ravana on the second, showed himself a master of the expression of the eye” - Dr. V Raghavan, renowned scholar of Sanskrit dramaturgy, classical Indian dance and music, connoisseur of art and former director of Samskritaranga- Chennai, 1962.”
• ““When i say Abhinaya, oh, I can't do the abhinaya like what the great man did here yesterday” - Great Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati next day after Chakyar's lecture-demonstration at Madras Music Academy in 1973.”
• ““Mani Madhava Chakyar was the personification of all the greatness of this rich Indian classical art tradition” - Kapila Vatsyayan (leading scholar of classical Indian dance), 1990”
• ““He had his own style. He could convey his thoughts through expressions. His eye movement was superb!” Birju Maharaj- great Kathak dancer, selecting him as one of the ten finest dancers he has known, 2000”

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