Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma

Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma (1915 – 1999) was an epoch-making Mohiniyattam dancer and researcher from Kerala in southern India. A native of Thirunavaya in Malappuram district of the state, she was instrumental in resurrecting Mohiniyattam from a dismal, near-extinct state into a mainstream Indian classical dance, rendering it formal structure and ornamentation.

Biography

Kalyanikkutty Amma was born in 1915 as Atavanaṭṭe Karingamaṇṇa Kalyanikutty to Panangad Govinda Menon and Karingamana Sreedevi Amma. She was married to the late Kathakali maestro Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair. She died on 12 May 1999 in Tripunithura (where the couple had settled) at the age of 84. Her son Kalasala Babu was a cinema and television actor. Her daughters Sreedevi Rajan and Kala Vijayan as well as her granddaughters Smitha Rajan and Sandhya Rajan are noted Mohiniyattam artists. Her training in Mohiniyattam was from Koraṭṭikkara Appuredatt Krishna Panicker, who was old at that time. Kalyanikkutti Amma also had her training in Kathakali under Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon. Published in 1992 first, the book is still a reference text for Mohiniyattam students of all classes. and the Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1978. She received the "Keerthi Shanku" title from Kerala Kalamandalam in 1980, "Nritta Praveena" title from Kerala Fine Arts Society in 1984. In 1992, she received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship. Kalyanikutty Amma has also been honoured with the prestigious Kalidasa Samman in 1997–1998.

Works on her

In 2019 her grand daughter, Smitha Rajan produced a movie, "Mother of Mohiniyattam" on the life and works of Kalyanikutty Amma which is directed by Dr. Vinod Mankara. In 1997, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma blessed her on the continuation of the Mohiniyattam tradition. Milana Severskaya created in St. Petersburg, Russia the first outside India school of education Mohiniattam. She founded the Natya Theater, where you can see the choreography Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma in the play, dedicated to her memory. Milana Siverskaya has released a film dedicated to the memory of the guru Kalyanikutty Amma in which one can see how the guru taught dance in deep old age.