The revered Indian Classical Dance, Mohiniyattam, is known for its artistry based on dramatics and dance. Internationally recognized Smitha Rajan, known for her spiritual intensity dripping through her personified grace, has only taken this art form to new avenues. Smitha Rajan grew up in an environment built around Mohiniyattam. Spanning more than three generations, she is the granddaughter of none other than the finest Indian Classical Dancers, Late Guru Padmasree Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Late Guru Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma, or more famously regarded as the mother of Mohiniyattam.
Her grandparents founded the Kerala Kalalayam Gurukula. In this Gurukula, Smitha’s mother and aunt, and she herself naturally found the rhythm of Mohiniyattam. The dance form came naturally to her. Even to this day, Smitha looks up to her grandparents the most. Their multifaceted personalities set new boundaries and created a new perspective for future performers, which encompassed hard work, moral ethics and self respect.
Early Life
Smitha was born and brought up in Kerala, near Ernakulam in Tripunithura. Smitha Rajan’s family fostered an ecosystem of dance and music. In the established gurukula, her grandmother planted in her the roots of Mohiniyattam. Through the guidance of her mother, Guru Sreedevi Rajan, and her aunt, Guru Kala Vijayan, Smitha learnt the unique blend of lasya (grace) and abhinaya (facial expressions). Soon after, at a very young age, Smitha also started teaching other students under the eyes of her grandparents.
Smitha completed her degree in M.A. and B.ED, but she didn’t let loose the different classical dances, especially Mohiniyattam. Undoubtedly, this particular dance had gripped Smitha’s soul. Since her early teens, she performed in schools and temples. She also accompanied her grandmother on her Kutcheri Sampradaya of Mohiniyattam tours. These tours were fruitful opportunities for Smitha. During these tours, her grandmother delivered lecture demonstrations, along with Mohiniyattam master classes, which deepened her knowledge of the dance form extensively. Smitha played an integral role as a performer on these tours. Her grandmother’s life aim had become to make Mohiniyattam nationally recognized. Since then, obligation of pursuing Mohiniyattam and keeping it alive, handed down by her grandmother, has been the biggest source of enthusiasm for Smitha Rajan.
The Artform of Mohiniyattam Through the Eyes of Smitha Rajan
Smitha Rajan points out that Mohiniyattam is often misjudged. Since the 1960s-80s, Mohiniyattam, had been popularized by the research, graceful movements and abhinaya of Guru Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma, her grandmother, and so rightfully regarded as Mother of Mohiniyattam. The dance form simply cannot be just understood as a dance performed by a beautiful woman, as the word translates to, “dance of the enchantress” but as a rich language of expressions, both feminine and masculine.
The different dance schools have contributed to the contemporary evolution of the dance form. When asked whether the western tradition has influenced the contemporary form of Mohiniyattam, Smitha is of the opinion that the differences in ideologies of the different practitioners influence an art form.
Stories, Lessons, and Achievements
Smitha Rajan shares many interesting and inspiring stories of her life. One of her most cherished memories is of the first stages she performed in the temple festivals for her Alma Mater Kerala Kalalayam. In those days, temple festivals generated large masses for its cultural festivities. These festivities introduced the vibrance of Mohiniyattam to the common folk. At the tender age of 6 only, Smitha had started performing for these stages and along the way learnt valuable lessons of her career that she carries with her even today, that is, know your audience and their feelings and deliver accordingly.
In the late 1980s, a time when TV was still a mystic concept, Smitha Rajan appeared on television. This transitioned her from open stage performances to a small screen delivery. Her performance was regionally broadcasted, which gave the young classical dancer in her a humble push. Soon after, her television presence reached national coverage.
Another memory she remembers more heartily is when she assisted her grandmother as a substitute dancer in place of her mother. After the performance, many senior artists and teachers, including Guru Dhananjayans and Subbudu Mama, congratulated her and even acknowledged her singing.
Smitha has performed with many popular classical dancers of India in dance styles such as Bharatanatyam, Odissi, and Kuchipudi. This allowed her to highlight Mohiniyattam’s uniqueness and beauty, and enabled her to nurture its acceptance amongst dance enthusiasts. Along with this, Smitha has also been able to enrich the catalog of performances from its emphasis on Hindu Epics, (i.e., Mahabharatam, Ramayanam, etc.) into social and historical compositions highlighting relevant themes such as the story of Jhansi Rani and ‘Stree Shakthi’ (Feminine Empowerment). She has spent a lot of time and effort on researching these subject matters, intended to diversify the cultural and social impact of the art form.
In 2019, she produced the movie, “Mother of Mohiniyattam”, with the help of director Vinod Makara. The movie was a tribute to her late Guru and grandmother, Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma. During the course of filming Mother of Mohiniyattam, she visited places where her grandmother had traveled during her research of Mohiniyattam. It was a humbling and an enlightening experience for her.
Message for the Aspiring Mohiniyattam Dancers
Smitha Rajan says that every person is talented. However, the key lies in understanding the talent through self-awareness, and that’s the moment when one should put in hard work and patience to become great at something they believe in. She also adds that it’s important for young dreamers to have a deep-rooted knowledge in their interests to help them keep a wide perspective. This would help them fulfill the many challenges they may face in their respective careers. A person must gain deep-rooted knowledge in their profession to contribute and make a positive difference to society.
