AN artiste of calibre can mesmerise the audience with just about anything. Sreedevi Unni, the founder of Monisha Arts Academy in Bangalore, needs no introduction in the field of Mohiniyattam, the traditional dance form of Kerala. The effortless ease with which she dances is what sets her apart from the rest of her ilk. Her passion prompted her to look beyond regional boundaries by adapting the dance to the local sentiments.
Sreedevi, who founded Nrityavedi in 1979, has been instrumental in bringing the audience of Karnakata closer to Mohiniyattam.
Having participated at Dasara, Hampi and Kadamba festivals, Sreedevi was bestowed with the Karnataka Kalasri Award in 2001 for enriching the repertoire of Mohiniyattam.
A child endowed with a zeal for dance, Sreedevi was initiated into the art form at an early age.
“All through my childhood, I had a passion for dance. I always had a feeling that I am a dancer and had an urge to establish myself as an artist. Growing up in a family, where most of them were artistes in Calicut, I got an opportunity to learn all forms of dance, including Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Thiruvathirakkali and Mohiniyattam.
I had the grace and abhinaya best suited for Mohiniyattam, a dance form that emphasises on grace. I became so enamoured of the art form,” reminisces the danseuse, who was groomed by eminent gurus like Balakrishnan Nair, Kelappan, Kalamandalam Chandrika and Kalyanikutty.
Later, she renamed the dance school as Monisha Arts Academy as a tribute to her daughter Monisha, who died in a car accident in 1992. Monisha, who won the highest accolade for Indian actresses, Urvashi award from the President for her debut movie, was 21 years old when the accident ended her acting life. It was dance and music that helped Sreedevi come out of the cocoon of depression after the tragedy.
“I took time for recovering from the injury after the crash. The wound in the heart was so deep that I could not accept the reality of death in the beginning. I underwent physiotherapy and surgery and became more spiritual. My family and the doctor were a great source of support then. It took some time for me to make everyone understand that I wanted to dance again,” she recalls.
Sreedevi, who also made her presence felt in Malayalam and Kannada movies, believes that dance is the best medium to express one’s feelings.
“When I presented Gandharivilapa, I put myself in the shoes of Gandhari, a mother who lost her 100 children. Though the loss of a mother is inconsolable, dance gives me immense strength to face the life with a smile,” she says.
According to Sreedevi, who is enthused by the revival of interest in Mohiniyattam, people of Karnataka have always been very supportive. Apart from solo performances, Sreedevi, who still continues to be an avid performer, has also choreographed a good number of dances using classic poems of Kuvempu and saint Purandara Dasa. The danseuse also nurtures a dream of writing an autobiography and a book on Mohiniyattam, which will be translated to Kannada also.
“I am getting ready for the annual Mohini Nrityotsava and Dasara festival,” says Sreedevi.
ashitha@expressbuzz.com