Kodungallur Gopalakrishnan

🪔 About

Guru Gopalakrishnan, born on April 9, 1926, in Kodungallur, Kerala, to Nanthialath Madhava Menon and Changaradi Ammalu Amma, was a prominent figure in Indian classical dance. He initially desired to learn Kathakali and moved to Madras (now Chennai) in the early 1940s, where he came under the tutelage of the legendary Guru Gopinath. Gopalakrishnan became a lead dancer in Guru Gopinath's troupe and later worked as a full-time dancer at Gemini Studios. He also received extensive training in Kathakali from Guru Vazhenkadu Kunju Nair at PSV Natya Sangam in Kottakkal, where he completed his rangapravesam. Gopalakrishnan was a sought-after choreographer in the film industry, directing dances for numerous Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Sinhala movies. His debut Malayalam film as a choreographer, 'Neelakuyil,' earned him the President's silver medal. In 1953, he was part of the first Indian cultural delegation to China, where he performed a dance-drama based on the Bhagawad Gita with Guru Gopinath and met leaders like Mao Tse Tung and Chou En Lai. In 1956, he founded his own troupe, the Bharatiya Ballet Troupe, with M.B. Sreenivasan as music director, and A.R. Rahman's father, R.K. Shekhar, as a harmonium player. He married dancer Kusum in 1963, and together they developed "Drishyakatha," a unique narrative blending Kerala Natanam, free dance, and folk forms. Guru Gopalakrishnan is credited with pioneering and popularizing Kerala Natanam, a simplified adaptation of Kathakali. He passed away in Chennai on September 5, 2012, at the age of 85. Awards & Honours: President's silver medal.