Methil Devika

Last updated

Methil Devika
MethilDevika.png
Born1976 (1976) (age 48)
Dubai, Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Nationality Indian
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Performing artist
  • Researcher
Known for Indian classical dance, Mohiniyattam
Spouses
  • Rajeev Nair
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2002;div. 2004)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 2013;div. 2021)​
    [1] [2]
Parents
  • N. Rajagopalan
  • Methil Rajeswari
RelativesRadhika Pillai (sister)
Methil Renuka (sister)

Methil Devika (born 1976) is an Indian classical dancer and research supervisor. [3] She was a Senior Research Associate at ISRO's Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, in 2023 working on an arts-integrated-advance-science project ideated by her. [4] She is currently doing Kerala Chief minister's Nava Kerala Post Doctoral Fellowship, conducting research on Temple Terrain as a New Performance Space for the Woman Dancer: A Study on How the Modern Woman Reinvents her Art in Esoteric Spaces. [5]

Contents

Early life

Devika has two elder sisters Radhika Pillai (Educator and Art Critic), and Methil Renuka [3] who works as Editor, Forbes. Renowned writer Methil Radhakrishnan is her mother's brother. Writer V. K. N.'s wife Vedavathi is her mother's sister. [3]

Devika completed a Ph.D. in Mohiniyattam from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. [6] She has an M.A. in Performing Arts from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata and an MBA from the University of Madras. [7]

Performances

Devika has given solo performances in dance festivals in India, including Khajuraho International Festival. [8]

She has performed at the Madras Music Academy, [9] Mudra Festival [10] and Nishagandhi Dance Festival. [11] She has performed in Boston, [12] New York City, Texas, Philadelphia, Laos, [13] Chiang Mai, [14] Sydney, and Melbourne. [15]

Documentation

In 2018, Devika created the short film documentary Sarpatatwam or The Serpent Wisdom. She set the lyrics to music, choreographed and performed the dance, also serving as co-director and co-producer. [16] The film was voted into the contention list of the Academy Awards in 2018. [17] It premiered at the Prestige Theatres, LA and was also screened at various international theatres. It was also the opening film at the National Film Archive of India, Pune.

Her work Ahalya which was commissioned by Sampradaya Dance Company also opened to world premiere in May 2021. It was based on reflections in solitude done during Covid lockdown and the music and dance being composed by herself. [18]

Awards

Devika's archival film was voted into the Academy Awards Contention List 2018. [19] [17] She won two national awards (Ustad Bismillah Yuva Puraskar for Mohiniyattam 2007 [20] and the Devadasi Award from the Minister of Orissa in 2010 [21] ). She received the state honours Kshetrakala Akademy Award 2020 [22] and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award 2011. [23] [24]

She received the Best Dancer Award of the Mid‐Year Fest from Madras Music Akademy in 2016. [25] She is empanelled into SPIC‐MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth) in 2010. [26] [27] She is empanelled artiste for Mohiniyattam at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. [28] Her recent award was the Dakshinamurthy Puraskar which she received in 2022 along with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Sivamani. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navya Nair</span> Indian actress

Navya Nair is an Indian actress who has appeared predominantly in Malayalam cinema along with a few Kannada and Tamil language films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukesh (actor)</span> Indian actor, producer, TV host, politician

Mukesh Madhavan, known mononymously as Mukesh, is an Indian actor, film producer, television presenter, and politician who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil-language films. In a film career spanning four decades, he has acted in over 275 Malayalam films. His 1996 film Kaanaakkinaavu premiered at the IFFI and won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. He co-produced Kadha Parayumbol (2007), which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. He also produced the 2012 film Thattathin Marayathu, which is considered one of the defining films of the Malayalam New Wave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrinalini Sarabhai</span> Indian classical dancer

Mrinalini Vikram Sarabhai was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor. She was the founder and director of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, an institute for imparting training in dance, drama, music and puppetry, in the city of Ahmedabad. She received Padma Bhushan in 1992 and Padma Shri in 1965. She also received many other citations in recognition of her contribution to art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunanda Nair</span> Mohiniattam Dancer

Sunanda Nair is an Indian dancer trained in Mohiniattam. She did her master's degree in this dance form from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya affiliated to the University of Mumbai. She has completed her PhD from University of Mumbai for her thesis "Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam". She was born in Mumbai, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lillete Dubey</span> Indian actress and theatre director

Lillete Dubey is an Indian actress and theatre director. She has worked in Indian and international theatre, television and films in Hindi and English languages. Dubey began her career with Barry John in Delhi and was the founding member of his group - Theatre Action Group in 1973. In 1991 she set up her own theatre company - The Primetime Theatre Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma</span> Indian Mohiniyattam dancer (1915–1999)

Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma was an epoch-making Mohiniyattam danseuse from Kerala in southern India. A native of Thirunavaya in Malappuram district of the state, she was instrumental in resurrecting Mohiniyattam from a dismal, near-extinct state into a mainstream Indian classical dance, rendering it formal structure and ornamentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. K. Arjunan</span> Indian composer (1936–2020)

Maliyekkal Kochukunju Arjunan was an Indian film and theatre composer, known for his works in Malayalam cinema and the theatre of Kerala. He was fondly referred to as Arjunan Master.

Vimala Menon, known popularly as Kalamandalam Vimala Menon is an Indian dance teacher and Mohiniyattam exponent from Kerala. She is the founder and Director of Kerala Natya Academy in Thiruvananthapuram.

Deepti Omchery Bhalla is a professor in Carnatic Music at the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi, and a Mohiniyattam dancer.

Bharati Shivaji is an Indian classical dancer of Mohiniyattom, choreographer and author, known for her contributions to the art form by way of performance, research and propagation. She is the founder of Center for Mohiniyattam, a dance academy promoting Mohiniyattom and the co-author of two books, Art of Mohiniyattom and Mohiniyattom. She is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2004, for her contributions to Indian classical dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sushmita Banerjee (dancer)</span>

Sushmita Banerjee is a Kathak exponent, choreographer and dance researcher from India. Sushmita has been under the guidance of Pandit Vijay Shankar and Smt. Maya Chatterjee briefly learned from Pandit Birju Maharaj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parassala B. Ponnammal</span> Indian Carnatic musician (1924–2021)

Parassala B. Ponnammal was an Indian Carnatic musician from the south Indian state of Kerala. She was a classical carnatic vocalist in the lineage of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Muthiah Bhagavathar, and Papanasam Sivan. She was the first woman to perform at the Navaratri Mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram as a part of the Navaratri Celebrations of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narthaki Nataraj</span> Indian Bharatanatyam dancer

Narthaki Nataraj is an Indian trans woman Bharatanatyam dancer. In 2019, she was awarded the Padma Shri, making her the first transgender woman to be awarded India's fourth-highest civilian award.

Usha Nangiar is an Indian traditional dance performer. Usha performs Nangiarkoothu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangeeta Isvaran</span> Bharatnatyam dancer, research scholar and social worker

Sangeeta Isvaran is an Indian Bharatanatyam dancer, research scholar, and social worker. She has been awarded with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, the highest national award for young dancers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kala Vijayan</span> Indian performer (born 1944)

Kala Vijayan is an Indian classical dance performer, choreographer, author and actor. She is the daughter of the legendary Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Mohiniyattam exponent Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma. Kala Vijayan is trained in Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, however she is best known for her contributions to Mohiniyattam. She is the recipient of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam (1998) and the Kerala State Award for Mohiniyattam (2019). She is the Principal Director and senior Guru at Kerala Kalalayam, a fine arts institute established by her parents at Thripunithura in 1952.

Kalamandalam Sugandhi is a Mohiniyattam dancer, choreographer and dance teacher from Kerala, India. She received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, Kerala Konkani Sahitya Academy Award and Kerala Kalamandalam Award.

R.L.V Ramakrishnan is an Indian Mohiniyattam dancer and film actor from Kerala. He was a Kalaprathibha from the M.G University in 2001. Ramakrishnan is the brother of Kalabhavan Mani and he served as the head teacher of Kalagriha started by Kalabhavan Mani in Chalakudy. He has also worked as guest lecturer at Kaladi Sanskrit University. In 2022, Ramakrishnan won the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in Mohiniyattam. He has also acted in five movies, most notably in Bamboo Boys in 2002.

Madhulita Mohapatra is a dancer from India. She is one of the exponents of Indian classical dance Odissi. She is also a Sambalpuri folk dancer for more than 20 years. She has been performing and teaching Odissi and Sambalpuri folk dance since the last 15 years. She started an Odissi school at Bengaluru in June 2008. She is also a performer, choreographer and trainer.

References

  1. ↑ "ഇത് ഞങ്ങള്‍ കാത്തിരുന്ന വിവാഹം - articles,infocus_interview". Mathrubhumi.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Radhika C. Pillai (9 November 2013). "My marriage with Mukesh is an arranged one: Methil Devika". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "methil devika". eShe. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "Women have come a long way, but a little more improvement won't do harm: Kerala Minister Mridula Ramesh". India Today. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "GOVERNMENT OF KERALA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "Dancing to the tunes of life". Deccan Chronicle. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  7. ↑ "Dancing to the tunes of life" . Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "So much divine energy in Khajuraho: Methil Devika". INDIA New England News. 7 March 2016. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Kochi, RITZ (22 January 2019). "Redefining Dance : A Chat With Dr.Methil Devika! | RITZ" . Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  10. ↑ Nisha (17 September 2010). "Exquisite recitals". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  11. ↑ Nampoothiri, Hareesh N. (5 February 2015). "Potpourri of dance". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Mohiniyattam recital by Methil Devika in Boston!! at Chinmaya Mission Auditorium, Andover, MA | Indian Event". events.sulekha.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "First Indian Classical Dance Show Debuts in Vientiane Capital – Lao Tribune". 26 January 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "Indian Dance and Fashion Show at Central festival". Chiang Mai Citylife. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  15. ↑ admin. "Methil Devika Dance workshop in Melbourne". Indian Events | Movies | Australian. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  16. ↑ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (20 September 2018). "In tune with the dance of the serpent". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  17. 1 2 Slayton, Jeff (26 September 2018). "Sarpathathwa -The Serpent Wisdom: A Beautiful Short Film by Indian Classical Dancer Methil Devika". L.A. Dance Chronicle. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  18. ↑ Kumar, P. k Ajith (6 May 2021). "When life imitates art during pandemic". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  19. ↑ "Review - Sarpatatwam - Padma Jayaraj". narthaki.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Methil Devika interacts with students in the city - Times of India". The Times of India. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  21. ↑ "Keeping a tradition alive". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  22. ↑ "Thiraseela.com". thiraseela.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  23. ↑ "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Dance". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  24. ↑ "Methil Devika". Mathrubhumi. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  25. ↑ Srikanth, Rupa (8 July 2016). "Dance of grace". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  26. ↑ "Samskriti: Collaborations With SPIC MACAY | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham". www.amrita.edu. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  27. ↑ "Forgotten moves". Hindustan Times. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  28. ↑ "Dr. Methil Devika | Indian Council for Cultural Relations". www.iccr.gov.in. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  29. ↑ "Singer Nanchamma, 3 others to receive awards". The Times of India. 13 December 2022. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 21 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.