Guru Gopalakrishnan

🪔 About

Guru Gopalakrishnan, a revered dance maestro and pioneer of Kerala Natanam, was born on April 9, 1926, in Kodungallur, Kerala, to Nanthialath Madhava Menon and Changaradi Ammalu Amma. He initially desired to learn Kathakali and moved to Madras (now Chennai) in the early 1940s, where he joined the legendary Guru Gopinath's team, eventually becoming a lead dancer. In 1946, he enrolled in the Natana Niketan dance school. His Kathakali training was further solidified in 1948 when he extensively studied at the PSV Natya Sangam in Kottakkal under Guru Vazhenkadu Kunju Nair, completing his rangapravesam (debut performance). Gopalakrishnan also had a significant career in the film industry, working as a full-time dancer at Gemini Studios. He choreographed numerous films, including his Malayalam debut 'Neelakuyil,' which earned the President's silver medal at the national film festival, as well as 'Sitaramakalyanam,' 'Jeevithanouka,' and 'Amma.' He was a sought-after choreographer across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Sinhala cinema. In 1953, he was part of the first Indian cultural delegation to China and performed a dance-drama based on the Bhagawad Gita with Guru Gopinath at Teen Murti Bhavan, where he met Mao Tse Tung and Chou En Lai. He founded his own ensemble, the Bharatiya Ballet Troupe, in 1956, with M.B. Sreenivasan as its music director. In 1963, he married Kusumam, a distinguished dancer and Kalamandalam alumna. Together, they developed "Drishyakatha," a unique narrative style that blended Kerala Natanam, free dance, and folk forms. Guru Gopalakrishnan was instrumental in popularizing Kerala Natanam, a simplified adaptation of Kathakali. He passed away in Chennai on September 6, 2012, at the age of 85, leaving behind his wife Kusumam and children Vinod and Apsara.