Margi Vijayakumar is a
Kathakali
''Kathakali'' (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kathakaḷi ) is a traditional form of Indian Classical Dance, and one of the most complex forms of Theatre of India, Indian theatre. It is a play of verses. These vers ...
artist who has specialised in female roles in the classical dance-drama from
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, south India. A disciple of the late
Padma Shri
The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair
Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair (27 March 1914 – 15 August 1990) was a Kathakali dancer from Kerala in India.
Life
He is a recipient of Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, and Kerala Sangeetha Nat ...
, he has gained name in his poised handling of
characters like
Damayanti
Damayanti () is a heroine in ancient Indian literature, primarily known for her role in the episode of ''Nala and Damayanti, Nalopakhyana'', which is embedded within the ''Vana Parva'' (the third book) of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c. 400 BCE – ...
,
Panchali
Draupadi (), also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali and Yajnaseni, is the central heroine of the ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. In the epic, she is the princess of Panchala Kingdom, who later becomes the empress of Kuru Kingdom. She ...
,
Mohini
Mohini (Sanskrit: मोहिनी, ') is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a ''femme fatale'', an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading them ...
and
Kunti
Kunti (, un̪t̪iː ), also known as Pritha (, ">r̩t̪ʰaː/nowiki>, ), is a prominent female character in the ancient Hindu epic '' Mahabharata''. She is chiefly recognised as the mother of the central characters—the five Pandavas—h ...
, mostly opposite star dancer
Kalamandalam Gopi
Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair popularly known as Kalamandalam Gopi, is an Indian dancer who is an exponent of the classical dance-drama style known as Kathakali.
Life
Born as Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair in the Southern Indian village of ...
.
The 1960-born Vijayakumar, a native of
Thonnakkal in
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
district, was initially trained under Thonnakkal Peethambaran, Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai, and Mankulam Vishnu Namboodiri. Equally at ease with
choreographically dense roles and those that more profile the Kathakali character, many buffs consider Vijayakumar as a legitimate successor to septuagenarian
Kottakkal Sivaraman
Kottakkal Sivaraman (9 Jan 1936 – 19 July 2010) was a performing artiste who revolutionised the portrayal of female roles in Kathakali, the classical dance-drama from Kerala in southern India.
Career
Kathakali, being a largely masculine dance ...
. Vijayakumar lives in Kudavoor near Thiruvananthapuram.
References
Kathakali exponents
Living people
1960 births
Artists from Thiruvananthapuram
Indian male dancers
Dancers from Kerala
20th-century Indian dancers
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
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