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Although
Kathakali was traditionally the preserve of men,
the first all-women's troupe namely, Tripunithura
Kathakali Kendram -Ladies Troupe was set up in
1975 amidst severe criticism and odds. She was
fortunate to be associated with the troupe since
its early days, ever since Arangettam at the age
of nine in 1978. She has been able to travel extensively
and has performed at almost all the major Kathakali
Clubs, Fine art Societies and Temples of Kerala.
She was also inducted into the panel of performers
for Dooradarshan two decades back.
A couple of her recent Kathakali
performances outside Kerala are:
 |
HCL Concert Series,
at India Habitat Center, Delhi on 30th April
2002(Nalacharitam) |
|
International Center for Kathakali,
Delhi on 9th November 2002 (Ayyappacharitam
and Keechaka vadham) |
As a member of the ladies' troupe, she had the
freedom to explore a vide variety of veshams both
male and female. Some of the kathas enacted by
her over the years are:
|
Sampoorna
ramayanam |
|
Subhadra
haranam |
|
Putana moksham
|
|
Rugmangada
charitam |
|
Ayyappa charitam
|
|
Krimeera
vadham |
|
Rugmini swayamvaram
|
|
Kalyanasaugandhikam |
|
Kiratam |
|
Duryodhanavadham |
|
Lavanasura
vadham |
|
Dakshayagam |
|
Santanagopalam |
|
Keechakavadham |
|
Kuchelavrittam |
|
Geetopadesam
|
|
Nalacharitam |
|
Karnasapatham |
|
Lavanya as Arjuna and Radhika as Sri Krishna
in
'Santhanagopalam'. |
By the age of sixteen she had done more than 100
stage performances in Kathakali.
She has been fortunate in having:
|
Performed Mohiniattam
for his Excellency Gyani Zail Singh, President
of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan at the age
of 16, in 1986. |
|
Honoured by the
then Prime Minister Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi
and been awarded the gold medal for solo dance(mohiniattam)
in 1986 and was a guest at the prestigious
Prime Minister's Breakfast. |
|
Received K K Raja
Memorial Prize in Kathakali twice. |
|
Received M K K
Nair Memorial Prize in Kathakali. |
|
Received various
prizes in Kathakali, Music etc from Kalabhavan,
Ernakulam and Kerala University Youth Festivals
and others. |
She is life member and senior student of the
International Center for Kathakali, Delhi
as disciple of Guru Shri Sadanam Balakrishnan.
Both her daughters Radhika(9 years) and Neelima(6years)
are showing keen interest in kathakali and
music. Radhika was a student of the International
Center for Kathakali at Delhi under Shri Sadanam
Balakrishnan. Radhika has done her Arangettam
at the very tender age of six in Kathakali
at the ICK,Delhi in November 2002 and has
now performed on quite a few stages. |
 |
Radhika
along with Guru Shri.Sadanam Balakrishnan,
Director & Principal, International Kathakali
Centre,
New Delhi on the eve of her 'Arangettam' |
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