Shanta was hailed as a child prodigy in music and dance when she was merely three years old. Her parents decided to send her to her grandparents in Chittoor near Palakkad so that she would get the right opportunities to nurture her talent. When she turned 8, her parents decided to send her to Shantiniketan in West Bengal, but later opted for Kalakshetra near Chennai as it was closer to Kerala.
A year later, 13-year-old Dhananjayan joined Kalakshetra. He was the third of eight children of Rama Poduval, an elementary school teacher. The young Dhananjayan's affinity to dance was cultivated by watching traditional art forms like Theyyam, Kathakali and Chenda Melam.
When Kathakali Acharya Chandu Panicker brought two boys -- Dhananjayan and Balagopal, who later became a Professor at Kalakshetra -- legendary danseuse Rukminidevi remarked, "Oh! Viswamitra is bringing Rama and Lakshmana to me."
Incidentally, the boys later played the roles of Rama and Lakshmana in the production of Sita Swayamvaram in 1955.
Chandu Panicker introduced the boys to Shanta -- as she was the only person at Kalakshetra who could speak Malayalam -- and asked her to take care of them.
Dhananjayan was inducted into the world of Bharata Natyam by the legendary Rukminidevi herself, while Chandu Panicker helped the talented boy take his first steps in Kathakali.
Advertisement
