Mani Madhava Chakyar: Many

““Mani Madhava Chakyar was the personification of all the greatness of this rich Indian classical art tradition”
- Kapila Vatsyayan (leading scholar of classical Indian dance), 1990”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: Kapila Vatsyayan, Gurupuja, Mathrubhumi weekly, February (11-17) 1990, p. 7.

Art , Dance

““Mani Madhava Chakyar when he portrayed Arjuna on the first evening and Ravana on the second, showed himself a master of the expression of the eye”
- Dr. V Raghavan, renowned scholar of Sanskrit dramaturgy, classical Indian dance and music, connoisseur of art and former director of Samskritaranga- Chennai, 1962.”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: p. 21 http://www.google.co.in/books?id=O_U7AAAAMAAJ&dq=mani+madhava&q=mani+madhava&pgis=1#search Natya, Bharatiya Natya Sangh, 1962.

Art , Music , Dance

““The depth of creativity of the author (Mani Madhava Chakyar) is evident from the introductory Shlokas (hymns in Sanskrit) itself ”
- Dr. Prem Lata Sharma (noted Hindi writer and scholar of Indian arts and literature)”

Mani Madhava Chakyar book Nātyakalpadrumam

Nātyakalpadrumam

Art , Literature

““Mani Madhava Chakyar was performing sikhinisalabha… Butterflies fly all around. Some of them fell into the fire below. The anguish was reflected in the actor’s eyes. Ha! There they come out without a burn! What a relief! They came again. The actor continued the performance. Only his eyes move… The audience was spellbound. They did not know that an hour has passed!”
- About his world famous abhinaya of the shloka shikhinisalabha from Subhadradhananjayam.”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: Indigenous Sanskrit theatre form, The Hindu, Tuesday, Jul 31, 2007 http://www.hindu.com/br/2007/07/31/stories/2007073150031600.htm

World , Flying

““No one is like the Emperor of Abhinaya- Mani Madhava Chakyar, and there won't be any” - Prof. Maria Christopher Byrski (first foreigner disciple of Guru and Kutiyattam), Department of Indology, Warsaw University, 1987”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya

Universe

““Has the Centre ever considered the merits of a phenomenal Kudiyattam exponent like Mani Madhav Chakkiyar - true genius?”
- Leela Venkatraman- art critic, The Hindu, 1998”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Awards
Source: Leela Venkatraman, An index of merit?, "The Hindu", December 27, 1998 http://www.hindu.com/folio/fo9812/98120100.htm

Art

““.. I felt angry when I learnt that a great artist like Mani Madhava Chakyar was awarded a mere Padma Shri. A man of his artistic genius and erudition deserved to be decorated with the highest state honour (Bharat Ratna)”
- RKG (Editor, The Illustrated Weekly, Columnist for Times of India), 2000”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Awards
Source: RKG, India : A Nation in Turmoil, Vedam Books, New Delhi (2000), ISBN 81-7476-268-X, p. 256 http://books.google.com/books?id=pKkBbf7doAUC&pg=RA1-PA256&ots=46YGGQqKUK&dq=Mani+Madhava+Chakyar&sig=BtI2LnPjtmf8b9sIMMlC4ihk40Y#PRA1-PA256,M1

Time

““(I got introduced to) the late and great Mani Madhava Cakyar’s King Udayana in Svapnavasavadatta. In what may have been among his last performances on the public stage I was fortunate to see Sri Cakyar, who at an advanced age, literally threw away his walking stick as he entered the stage to become a sprightly royal lover pining away for his beloved Vasavadatta. At his home in Likkadi he demonstrated the nava rasas… Sri Cakyar vividly illustrated to me that kutiyattam acting has the power to transform even the oldest person into the character he portrays”
- Prof. Farley P. Richmond (Expert on Indian theatre), Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Georgia.”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: www.uga.edu/farleyrichmond/projects/trivandrum%20speech.pdf

Age , Home , Lovers , Study

“"To Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar, Kutiyattam was more than art, it was life itself"
- Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work (film) - Kavalam N. Panickar, 1994”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work, K.N. Panikar, Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi, 1994

Life , Art

“Mani Madhava Cakyar with his unfailing urge for complicated, difficult and minute details has enriched the art during the decades of his unparalleled performing life without permitting even an iota of compromise regarding the essentials of traditional style. He has served his Kuladharma ever since his maiden appearance with tireless effort, enthusiasm, perseverance and vigor. He introduced new forms to improve this art form without impairing its tradition. The effectiveness of these innovations which only a genius could visualise and perform has already been proved several times”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

"The Hindu (1989)
Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: K. A. Chandrahasan, In pursuit of excellence (Performing Arts), "The Hindu", Sunday March 26, 1989

Life , Art , Effort , Appearance

“"Mani Madhava Chakyar's forte was Satwikabhinaya. Endowed with expressive eyes; that can speak a thousand moods and a countenance that can reflect the range of human emotions in its entirety, Mani Madhava Chakkiar was the master at work"
- Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work (film), 1994”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work, K.N. Panikar, Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi, 1994

Mood

“"… Mani Madhava Chakyar, the overarching titan of 20th-century Koodiyattam, whose histrionic powers and focused scholarship eventually gave his art world-wide audience (and a Unesco recognition)"
- "The New Indian Express (2011)"”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya

World , Art

“"The eyes of Kudiyattam has closed forever…the great lineage of Sanskrit theatre is adversely hit by the loss of this genious"
- K. P. Narayana Pisharoty (Kutiyattam scholar) in 1990, on the death of Guru Mani Madhava Chakiar.”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: Arya Madhavan, Kudiyattam Theatre and the Actor's Consciousness, Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2010, p. 79

Death , Loss

““At least Bharatanatyam is now world famous, with thousands of new votaries. What about Koodiyattam?….. I have done what I can. It has not been easy. One has to sacrifice a lot to learn Koodiyattam. How many persons will be ready for it these days? Will there be an audience capable of imbibing it? ”
-Shri. Māni Mādhava Chākyār to famous Bharatanatyam dancer Rukmini Dev Arundale, while latter visitited Guru at his residence”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Source: P.T. Narendra Menon, Kulapati of Koodiyattam, Sruti- India's premier Music and Dance magazine, August 1990 issue (71), p. 27.

World , Learning , Personality

“"(Guru Mani Madhava Chakiar) began playing the dual role of Parvati and Shiva…sat on a wooden chair…I have never ever seen a Parvati so exquisitely beautiful. I have never seen a Shiva so handsome and so cunning. I sat there and wept as if I were alone in the presence of God. I then realized what theatre was all about — the falsehood of that old man made me arrive at a state where inhibitions and convictions, all became so fluid and beautiful. And this vision has remained with me always"
- Dr. Vijaya Mehta (Executive Director, National Center for Performing Arts- Bombay, acclaimed Indian theatre personality) about her experience of watching 72 year old Guru's Abhinaya of Parvativiraha”

Mani Madhava Chakyar

Abhinaya and Netrābhinaya
Source: Theatre is a great lie that gets us to arrive at a great truth- Dr.Vijaya Mehta http://www.rotaryclubofbombay.org/ps121206.htm

God , Beauty , Art , Personality