Madras Kadiravelu Saroja | |
|---|---|
| Born | Madras Kadiravelu Saroja (1931-04-07)7 April 1931 |
| Died | 13 June 2022(2022-06-13) (aged 91) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation | Dancer |
| Spouse | Mohan Khokar |
| Children | 4 |
| 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 (7 April 1931 – 13 June 2022), was an Indian classical dancer, known for her expertise, as an exponent and as a teacher, in the classical dance form ofBharatanatyam. TheGovernment of India honored her, in 2011, with thePadma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of art and culture.[1]
Bharata Natyam (Tamil: பரதநாட்டியம்) 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 atChennai (erstwhile Madras), in the Indian state ofTamil Nadu. She started learning classical dance when she was five years old, along with her sister, under the tutelage of Muthukumaran Pillai,[2] a known classical dance teacher and reportedly, the first dance teacher atRukmini Devi Arundale'sKalakshetra, who taught many renowned classical dancers such asMrinalini Sarabhai andKamala Laxman. The young Saroja followed the master when he moved to Bangalore to join theBangalore Studio, in Bangalore.[3]
Saroja made her debut in 1940 and soon became a known dancer. In 1946, she was offered a movie contract byGemini Studios, in Chennai which she turned down. Three years later, in December 1949, she married Mohan Khokar,[2] renowned art historian and dance scholar[4][5] and a co-student atKalakshetra and followed her husband toBaroda when he was posted there as the Head of Department of Dance,Maharaja Sayajirao University.[3] In Baroda, Saroja learntKathak from Sundarlal and Kundanlal Gangani, noted Kathak gurus.
In 1961, Mohan Khokar was posted as the Special Officer for dance at theSangeet 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 theRashtrapati Bhavan, in front of the visiting Saudi Arabian ruler. From 1970 onwards, she started visiting theCentre Mandapa in Paris, for teaching students there which she continued until 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 had 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]
M. K. Saroja died on 13 June 2022, at the age of 91.[7]
"M. K. Saroja's art is that of the devotee. She has absolute 'bhakti' residing in her...", opines Leela Samson, Director ofKalakshetra[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,[8] Shobana Radhakrishna, Rasika Khanna, Arup Ghosh, Lucia Maloney, Milena Salvini and Vidya. The last two dancers still teaches at theCentre 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]
