A. Janardhanan Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

🪔 About

Aryambath Janardhanan, born on April 25, 1942, in Kerala, India, is a distinguished exponent of Indian classical dance, specializing in both Kathakali and Bharatanatyam. His profound association with Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai commenced in 1958 and spanned an extraordinary 65 years, where he served as a student, principal dancer, faculty member, and eventually Professor Emeritus. He received rigorous Kathakali training from his father, Guru T. K. Chandu Panicker, who followed the Kallarikoda tradition of North Kerala. He further honed his Kathakali skills under the renowned Guru Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair with a two-year Government of India scholarship. He also received classical Bharatanatyam training under Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale. Janardhanan earned his Post Diploma in Kathakali with distinction in 1966 and began teaching Kathakali and Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra that same year. He was a principal dancer in Kalakshetra productions directed by Rukmini Devi from 1959, essaying major lead roles such as Rama in Ramayana, Buddha in Buddha Avataram, and Bheema in Damayanti Swayamvaram. He served as the Principal of the Rukmini College of Fine Arts within Kalakshetra from June 2001 to May 2003, retiring as Professor Emeritus at the age of 62. Janardhanan has toured extensively with the Kalakshetra troupe across numerous countries, including Australia, China, Europe, and the USA, and assisted Rukmini Devi at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1981. He has choreographed dance dramas like "Karna Sapatham" and "Sri Purandara" for Kalakshetra and "Sri Krishna Jananam" for Bharatakalanjali. His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Bharatha Kala Sagara (2002), Natana Bhaskara (2003), Kala Pratibha Puraskar (2006), Natyarangam Award (2012), Pravasi Kalasree (2013), Acharya Choodamani (2013), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2014), and Natya Kalanidhi (2021). Awards & Honours: Gold medal for service in the field of arts, Bharatha Kala Sagara (2002), Natana Bhaskara (2003), Kala Pratibha Puraskar (2006), Natyarangam Award (2012), Pravasi Kalasree (2013), Acharya Choodamani (2013), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2014), Natya Kalanidhi (2021).