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Journalism of Courage
I first heard of Ram Gopal when I was at Santiniketan. He had notched up huge successes though he was not well known at that time in India. He had established a school in Bangalore and was looking for someone to dance with him, someone as dedicated. And strangely enough, a friend of my family8217;s gave him my name. The friend was General Thimmayya8217;s wife, Nina, who had been very kind and helpful to me when I returned from school in Switzerland. I had started taking classes at Kalakshetra, Rukmini Devi8217;s dance academy, and then went to Santiniketan.
Ram Gopal went to Madras to meet my mother and assured her that he would look after me well. He was a charming person, and of course he won her over. So I went to Bangalore and was delighted to find my Kalakshetra guru, Shri Muthukumara Pillai, there, with whom I continued working while dancing with Ram Gopal as his partner.
We gave many recitals in Bangalore, Madras and Calcutta and were considered 8216;8216;a perfect pair8217;8217;! I created my first choreographic piece for both of us called 8216;8216;Dharini8217;8217; as I always enjoyed doing something new around the classical form. Ram Gopal was a superb dancer and I enjoyed my work with him. His 8216;8216;Natanam Adinar8217;8217;, danced in the real Pandanallur style, was one of the finest I have ever seen.
When I went to Madras he would write me notes about how he had planned my future with him and to what great heights we would go. I think the difference between us was that he always spoke of the height and I of the path. I left him as my training was still unfinished and my guru wanted me to go to Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai of Pandanallur. I had also met someone who was to be my world and my vision.
Years later, dancing with my daughter Mallika in London, I invited him. His years showed in his frailty, but he was essentially the same, grandly dressed, an exotic turban on his head, a brocade achkan. We greeted each other with affection and he was thrilled with Mallika8217;s work. Later at a festival in Mumbai we sat together at the NCPA and in a loud voice he praised his god-daughter Mallika, not mincing his words, much to my embarrassment. But that was Ram, always loud and clear.
