C.V. Chandrasekhar: The Anna of Bharatanatyam
He lived a life of 89 years full of dance colours; no wonder one found him in attractive and unusual coloured kurtas in public. Neatly combed hair and a ready radiance were his hallmarks. It is his overall aesthetics and dance stamina that inspired many. When he took to the stage and did a tillana or a varnam, he could put a 30-year-old to shame. His art sprang from discipline and dedication. Meet the redoubtable guru C.V. Chandrasekhar, popularly known as 'Chandru Anna'.
Born in Simla on May 22, 1935, where his father Rao Sahib (a title given by Britishers) V.A.V. Iyer, who was in government service under British India, and mother Kamala were stationed, Chandru Anna was among the eight siblingsâtwo sisters and six brothers. As he was number seven, he was considered lucky!
The early years were spent in Simla and Delhi. There was no dance in the family, though like in most South Indian families, Carnatic music was learnt and appreciated. His father was not happy with the Delhi culture and wrote to Madurai Subramanya Iyer regarding his lucky number seven son imbibing the arts properly.
Subramanya Iyer recommended Kalakshetra in Madras. Thus, Chandru Anna found himself at Kalakshetra in 1945, where he stayed for nine years, till 1954. In the first year, he learnt only music from T.K. Ramasami Iyengar. It was only in 1946 that dance training began. Peria Sarda and Dandayudhapani Pillai were his teachers.
When his father retired in 1947 on April 1 (four months before Independence), the family shifted to Coimbatore. Along with dance, Chandru Anna went through normal education, finished his high school in 1950 and BSc in 1954 from the Vivekananda College, all along pursuing dance at Kalakshetra. MSc followed, though in Benaras, and he finished with that in 1956. During this period of study, he had two significant opportunities: to visit Delhi in 1954 and win the inter college competition. And go to China, selected by Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer, as part of a cultural troupe.
He attempted Bharatanatyam to Hindustani music to even Gujarati poetry but that was to make dance more acceptable and understandable in an alien setting. "I never compromised on its grammar or content. I broke ground with Ritu Samhara; I conquered with Bhoomija. Under my wife's banner Nrityashree, we produced Meghadootam, Aparajitha, Pancha Maha Bhootam, Aarohanam, Govinda Biridavali, Bhanvar Geet, etc.," Chandru Anna said. All above history and facts, I sat and gleamed from him on the occasion of his 75th birthday in 2010 (shared with readers of www.narthaki.com first).
His three important contributions can be summed up as giving the male solo dancer a fillip, especially when senior of age, bringing dance to academics, and academics to dance. He took pride in his daughters, saying "Chitra and Manjari are very dedicated to their profession. In spite of being trained under us, their style is very individualistic and not our replicas."
Chandru Anna was modern yet contemporary in his approach to dance. In one of my interviews, he maintained: "Changes in dance and tradition will come; what is important is to have a firm foundation. The grammar of classical dance is its soul. Just doing some new fangled stuff on stage means nothing and is hardly even remembered. The beauty and essence of Indian classical dance lies in its tradition."
"Dance is my mission. I have been given awards that I value, such as the Padma Bhushan, Kalidas Samman and the Akademi Award. My students and wider family of dance love me and that's my biggest reward," he said. Wherever he went all loved him. Once in a workshop in Coonoor, he sang antakshari to regale students by camp fire. He was a quintessential artiste. They don't make like that anymoreâhumble, happy and humourous. Pucca, professional, personable. No wonder the gods called him to dance for them up in Devlok. Om Shanti!
âThe writer is India's ace dance authority, historian, critic and editor of attenDance
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