M. K. Saroja

M. K. Saroja
Born Madras Kadiravelu Saroja
(1931-04-07) April 7, 1931
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation Dancer
Spouse(s) Mohan Khokar
Children Hariharan
Nandan
Ashish
Vivek
Awards Padma Shri
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Kalaimamani Award
Life Time Achievement Award
E. Krishna Iyer Medal
Natya Kalanidhi
Tagore Akademi Ratna Award

Madras Kadiravelu Saroja, is an Indian classical dancer, known for her expertise, as an exponent and as a teacher, in the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. The Government of India honored her, in 2011, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of art and culture.[1]

Biography

Bharata Natyam (Tamil: பரதநாட்டியம்) (Telugu: భరత నాట్యం), also spelled Bharatanatyam, is a classical Indian dance form that originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu. Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by male and female dancers all over the world.
"She is a saintly person, never given to publicity and hype", says noted classical dancer, Padma Subrahmanyam[2]

M. K. Saroja was born on 7 April 1931 at Chennai (erstwhile Madras), in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She started learning classical dance at the early age of 5, along with her sister, under the tutelage of Muthukumaran Pillai,[2] a known classical dance teacher and reportedly, the first dance teacher at Rukmini Devi Arundale's Kalakshetra, who taught many renowned classical dancers such as Mrinalini Sarabhai and Kamala Laxman. The young Saroja followed the master when he moved to Bangalore to join the Bangalore Studio, in Bangalore.[3]

Saroja made her debut in 1940 and soon became a known dancer. In 1946, she was offered a movie contract by Gemini Studios, in Chennai which she turned down. Three years later, in December 1949, she got married to Mohan Khokar,[2] renowned art historian and dance scholar[4][5] and a co-student at Kalakshetra and followed her husband to Baroda when he was posted there as the Head of Department of Dance, Maharaja Sayajirao University.[3] In Baroda, Saroja learnt Kathak from Sundarlal and Kundanlal Gangani, noted Kathak gurus.

In 1961, Mohan Khokar was posted as the Special Officer for dance at the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the couple moved to New Delhi. There, she resumed teaching and continued with dance performances and had the opportunity to perform at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, in front of the visiting Saudi Arabian ruler. From 1970 onwards, she started visiting the Centre Mandapa in Paris, for teaching students there which she continued till the year 2000.[3]

M. K. Saroja retired from professional dance, after 40 active years, in 2000, following the death of her husband.[3] She has four sons of which the third son, Ashish Mohan Khokar is a known art historian, author and dance critic.[6] She currently lives in Chennai.[3]

Legacy

"M. K. Saroja's art is that of the devotee. She has absolute 'bhakti' residing in her...", opines Leela Samson, Director of Kalakshetra[2]

The legacy of M. K. Saroja remains the purity she brought into the bharatanatyam and lives through the numerous students she has tutored to fame such as Nargis Katpitia, Pratibha Pandit, Sudha Patel, Laxmi Valrani, Indrani Rehman, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Romana Agnel,[7] Shobana Radhakrishna, Rasika Khanna, Arup Ghosh, Lucia Maloney, Milena Salvini and Vidya. The last two dancers still teaches at the Centre Mandapa, Paris.

Two documentary films have been made on M. K. Saroja, one by the Department of Theatre, University of Rome and another one by Claude Lamorrise.[3]

Awards and recognitions

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Padma". Government of India. 25 January 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Staff Reporter (28 July 2008). "M.K. Saroja, a model for younger generation". The Hindu. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Narthaki Bio". Narthaki.com. 28 March 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ Suanshu Khurana (21 July 2011). "Mohan Khokar". The New Indian Express. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Mohan Khokar Dance Archives". Dance Archives of India. 2000. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Ashish Mohan Khokar". Web article. Attendance-India. 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Romana Agnel". Festival of Anthropology of Dance. 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Tagore Akademi Ratna". Sangeet Natak Akademi. 2011. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Award for Dancer". The Hindu. December 15, 2000. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "E. Krishna Iyer Medal". Sruthi Foundation. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Natya Kalanidhi 2". Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Natya Kalanidhi 1". Lakshmanasruthi.com. 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Life Time Achievement award". Merrinews. Retrieved August 21, 2014.

Further reading

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