Kala Vijayan

Kala Vijayan is an Indian classical dance performer, choreographer, author and actor. She is the daughter of the legendary Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Mohiniyattam exponent Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma. Kala Vijayan is trained in Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, however she is best known for her contributions to Mohiniyattam. She is the recipient of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam (1998){{Cite web |title=Dance, Awards, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi |url=http://www.keralaculture.org/ |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=keralaculture.org |language=en}} and the Kerala State Award for Mohiniyattam (2019).{{Cite web |title=2018 Kathakali awards announced in Kerala |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2019/nov/13/2018-kathakali-awards-announced-in-kerala-2060961.html |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=The New Indian Express}} She is the Principal Director and senior Guru at Kerala Kalalayam, a fine arts institute established by her parents at Thripunithura in 1952.{{Cite web |title=In step with tradition |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2013/feb/07/in-step-with-tradition-448338.html |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=The New Indian Express}}

Kala Vijayan was born on 8 May 1944 at Desamangalam village, Shornur. Her father, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair was a legendary Kathakali artist who popularized Kathakali within Kerala and beyond.{{Cite news |last=Gopalakrishnan |first=K. K. |date=10 April 2014 |title=Beauty personified |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/beauty-personified/article5895859.ece |access-date=24 June 2021 |issn=0971-751X}} Her mother, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, is remembered as the “Tharavattamma” or “Mother” of Mohiniyattam.{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=G. S. |date=12 May 2021 |title=Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma: The Only Matriarch of Mohiniyattam |url=https://indiaartreview.com/2021/05/12/kalamandalam-kalyanikutty-amma-the-only-matriarch-of-mohiniyattam/ |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=India Art Review |language=en-US }}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} She was a student of Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam from 1937 to 1940 and played a pivotal role in the resurrection of Mohiniyattam to a classical dance form.

Kala's elder sister Sreedevi Rajan is a Mohiniyattam artist and instructor.{{Cite news |last=Kaladharan |first=V. |date=19 December 2019 |title=Confluence of classicism and aesthetics |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/reviews/dance-festival-organised-at-kochi/article30345720.ece |access-date=24 June 2021 |issn=0971-751X}} Sreedevi Rajan has two daughters – Smitha Rajan and Sandhya Rajan{{Cite web |title=Moved by legacy |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2021/may/25/moved-by-legacy-2306995.html |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=The New Indian Express}} – both of whom are Mohiniyattam performers and instructors. Their brother, Kalasala Babu was an Indian stage, serial and film actor.

Kala is married to C.K. Vijayan, a retired FACT employee. Her son Ajith Vijayan is a film and television actor.{{Cite web |title=Profile - Kala Vijayan - Venugopal SK |url=https://narthaki.com/info/profiles/profl238.html |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=narthaki.com}}

Vijayan did her pre-university education from Maharaja's College, Ernakulam. Growing up in a family of artists, she studied Mohiniyattam and Kathakali from her mother and father respectively. She started her Mohiniyattam training under her mother at an early age and did her Mohiniyattam arangettam (stage initiation) by the age of 4. She started learning Bharatanatyam under Guru Thanjavoor A.R.R. Bhaskar. Her arangettam in Bharatanatyam happened at the age of 10. Her Kathakali arangettam happened at the age of 10 with an hour-and-half long performance of Poonthanamoksham. Kala Vijayan further did her higher studies in Bharatanatyam from Kalakshetra under the institute's scholarship.

Vijayan was a child artist for a professional drama troupe. She Vijayan has been a performer of Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. She has been performing Bharatanatyam from the age of 10 to 36 and Kathakali from the age of 10 to 25. She has been a performer of Mohiniyattam from the age of 4 to 52 and still performs Mohiniyattam for selected programs.

Vijayan started choreographing dance pieces from an early age and has choreographed dance items for Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam. She has choreographed a Mohiniyattam item based on the story of Job from The Bible. She has composed and choreographed dance dramas like Kannaki (based on the story from Chilapathikaram) and Kalam (about the changing seasons). She has also choreographed and performed experimental dance recitals collaborating Mohiniyattam, Kathakali and Bharatanatyam. Bhavayami Raghu Rama is one such dance piece. She advocates the Katcheri tradition that has been introduced into Mohiniyattam by her mother. Vijayan has composed and choreographed one such Katcheri recital. She has choreographed 2 Chollukettu, 11 Padam, 5 Varnam, 1 Thillana and 3 Saptham.

Vijayan ventured into teaching Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam at the age of 14. She has taught Mohiniyattam.{{Cite web |title=RLV Salini Harikumar |url=https://www.pisharodysamajam.com/shining_star/rlv-salini-harikumar/ |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=Pisharody Samajam |language=en-US}} In an interview, Deepti Omcheri, a Mohiniyattam exponent, recollected her initial training days under Vijayan. Vijayan is the Principal Director of Kalyani-Krishna Fine Arts Academy Kerala Kalalayam and teaches Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam there.

Based on the scientific and classical theories introduced by Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, Vijayan has created 25 new adavus (steps) for Mohiniyattam. Vijayan has conducted research in Tantric and Gramya Mudra, which have been published in her book. Vijayan hosts and conducts a Mohiniyattam theoretical and practical video series through her YouTube channel - Kerala Kalalayam.{{Cite web |last=Codingest |date=12 May 2021 |title=മോഹിനിയാട്ട തറവാട്ടമ്മയ്‌ക്ക്‌ മകളുടെ പൂജ |url=https://www.kalamnews.in/article-kalamandalam-Kalyanikkuttiyamma-st |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=Admin |language=ml}}

• 1978 - Natyakalarathnam Award by Sahrudaya Samithi, Tripunithura.
• 1993 - Junior Fellowship from the Cultural Department of Govt. of India (Also received Senior Fellowship from the Cultural Department of the Government of India a few years later)
• 1998 - Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam
• 2006 - Swathithirunal Performing Arts Trust's Award for Mohiniyattam
• 2019 - State Award for Mohiniyattam by the Govt. of Kerala{{Cite news |date=13 November 2019 |title=Kerala 'State Kathakali award-2018' announced |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kathakali-award-announced/article29956774.ece |access-date=24 June 2021 |issn=0971-751X}}
• 2022 - Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Mohiniyattam) {{Citation |title=Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |date=2025-05-04 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangeet_Natak_Akademi_Award |access-date=2025-05-07 |language=en}}
• 2024 - Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship {{Cite web |last=Daily |first=Keralakaumudi |title=Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award: Fellowship for Parashala Ravi, Kala Vijayan and TM Abraham |url=https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1323235&u=sangeetha-nataka-academy-award-fellowship-for-parashala-ravi-kala-vijayan-and-tm-abraham-1323235 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Keralakaumudi Daily |language=en}}

Vijayan has authored a book on Mohiniyattam titled Mohiniyattam: Ariyendath Ellam. It was brought out by DC Publishers in 2012.{{Cite web |title=State Central Library Kerala - Online Catalog |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=32071 }} This book is included in the syllabus for Mohiniyattam in R.L.V. College, Tripunithura and Sree Sankara College, Kallady.

• Lead character in Joshy Mathew’s film Angu Doore Oru Deshath (2017) which won the Best Children's Film title in Kerala Film Critics Award (2018){{Cite web |last=രഘുനാഥ്‌ |first=രശ്മി |title=പദ്മരാജന്റെ ഈ സംവിധാന സഹായിയെടുത്ത കുട്ടികളുടെ സിനിമക്ക് രണ്ടാം തവണയും അവാര്‍ഡ് നേട്ടം |url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/joshy-mathew-best-children-s-film-award-for-angu-doore-oru-deshathu--1.3614048 |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=Mathrubhumi |date=2 March 2019 |language=en}}
• Portrayed the role of Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma in the documentary produced by her niece Smitha Rajan, "Mother of Mohiniyattam" (2019) directed by Dr. Vinod Mankara{{Cite news |last=Paul |first=Gs |date=2 January 2020 |title=Walking in the steps of Kalyanikuttty Amma |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/vinod-mankaras-mohinyattathinte-amma-on-kalamandalam-kalyanikutty-amma-chronicles-her-contributions-in-shaping-mohiniyattam/article30459809.ece |access-date=24 June 2021 |issn=0971-751X}}

{{reflist}}

{{improve categories|date=June 2021}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vijayan, Kala}}

Category:Living people

Category:1944 births

Category:Actresses in Malayalam cinema

Category:Mohiniyattam exponents

Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award

Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award