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AN INTERVIEW
WITH MALAVIKA SARUKKAI
Malavika Sarukkai's exceptional artistry was featured in
the BBC/WNET television documentary Dancing, a 9-hour
series on world dance. A film Samarpanam, specially commissioned
by the Government of India, has been made on her life and work.
Senior Fellowships and Grants have been given to her, in recognition
of her creative interpretation and choreography. She is the recipient
of the Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu State Government,
the Nrityachoodamani award and awards from Sanskriti and
Haridas Sammelan.
We chat with her, on her life, her work, and her future.
What was your early childhood like?
I studied in Cathedral school in Bombay. A good school to
be at, but there was  no
emphasis on culture. My mother was always interested in dancing.
She was drawn to it, but never really vocalized her interest. She
put me in a dance school. Initially, I was not at all interested,
but gradually I began to like it.
Who was your main inspiration?
My mother, Saroja Kamakshi. She was my support. The only
area where she pushed me was dance practice. Amma, being
a working single parent, found the time and the commitment to nurture
me in dance. I respect her for that.
When did you decide that dancing was going
to be your profession?
I did a year in Women's Christian College, in Chennai. I
was not very happy there, so I decided to take up Tourism in Queen
Mary's College. I attended college for exactly a day and came
back and said "No, this is not for me". At 16, I took the
risk and said "I am going to dance". And I think that was
one of the best things I had done with myself - I took the risk.
My only driving force was to dance. I had no other ambitions. I
didn't think - I have to make money through dance, or I have to
be better than others or I have to give a lot of performances.
 Who
was your Guru?
My guru in my early years was Guru Kalyanasundaram Pillai of
the Thanjavur School, in Bombay. I had my Arangetram (first
stage appearance) in 1972. We later shifted to Chennai in 1975 for
dance and I started training under Guru Rajaratinam Pillai of
the Vazhuvoor School and Sreemati Kalanidhi Narayanan for
Abhinaya (facial expressions). I have spent hours with my
Gurus, learning not only through class, but also by just being there,
observing and talking to them. I have had the most fantastic relationship
with them. I have also learnt Odissi with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra
and Guru Ramani Jena.
Could you tell us about your various thematic
dance productions?
My first production was Krishna Ritu Krida - A celebration
of the leelas of Krishna (episodes from the life of
Lord Krishna) in the six seasons. The next one was Fireflies
- a multimedia performance piece. An exploration of sringara,
the man-woman relationship, through English text, miniature
painting, and dance. I did another one on the environment called
Shrinkala. The most recent production was Khajuraho -
in homage to the temples which resonate with the sacred and celebrate
the secular.
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