Blended in Natya – An interview with the Dhananjayans

 Madras has turned 375 today. As one sees various images that define the city, one cannot miss the dancers of Kalakshetra, rigorous in their practice, dedicated to the art. I spoke to the legendary Dhananjayans on the occasion of Madras Day, who drew a vivid picture of the Madras that was….

Tucked away in one of the silent corners of Thiruvanmiyur is the Kalakshetra campus, where students can be seen undergoing a rigorous regimen of training in Bharatanatyam and other art forms. The lush green campus, lined with countless trees, is an oasis in the midst of the humdrum of traffic in the city. Six decades back, when VP Dhananjayan, a doyen of Bharatanatyam arrived in Madras (as it was known then), the city was a totally different place to be in. His memory is still fresh about the journey he undertook from his village in Kerala to Madras…