Professor C.V. Chandrasekhar, affectionately known as CVC, was a towering figure in Bharatanatyam, renowned for his dedication, precision, and boundless energy.

Born on 22 May 1935 in Shimla to Rao Sahib V.A.V. Iyer and Kamala, CVC’s journey in Bharatanatyam began at an early age. CVC embarked on his dance career in 1947, at a time when male dancers were scarce. Despite facing societal challenges, he chose to pursue Bharatanatyam over a career in Botany. His professional journey began at Banaras Hindu University and later continued at M.S. University of Baroda, where he retired as the Head and Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts in 1992. Settling in Chennai with his wife Jaya, he founded the dance school ‘Nrithyasree,’ nurturing several dancers. Their daughters, Chitra and Manjari, are also accomplished dancers in their own right.

Internationally acclaimed, CVC represented India at numerous global festivals and was actively involved in various fine arts committees. His major choreographic works include Ritu Samharam, Meghadutam, Bhoomija, Aparajita, Pancha Maha Bhoota, Aarohanam, Bhramarageet, and Kreeda, drawing inspiration from nature and his surroundings.

Professor Chandrasekhar received numerous honours, such as the Padma Bhushan, Sangita Kala Acharya from the Music Academy, and the Kalidas Samman from the Madhya Pradesh Government.

The passing of Professor C.V. Chandrasekhar on 19 June 2024 has left a profound void in the classical dance community. His legacy, marked by his influence, artistry, and mentorship, continues to inspire dancers and enthusiasts worldwide.  n

A gentleman and complete artist was he                           

By S. Janaki

Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar was the person everyone looked up to. He stood tall not only in demeanour, but as an artist and human being.  

He did not like to be described as a “guru” nor did he approve of the word being used by all and sundry as he felt it was something profound. His students tell me that he never quoted his fees; each one paid what they could afford, and he never asked for it or questioned them. Greatness sat on him lightly, although he received several prestigious awards.

To me, he’s always “Chandru Mama”. His parents and my great-grandparents were close family friends in Delhi during British times. Much later, Chandru Mama was my local guardian while I was in the hostel studying at Banaras Hindu University, but he left for Baroda in a year. In the late 1950s and early sixties, he played a major role in introducing and propagating Bharatanatyam in Banaras, a seat of Kathak, thumris, and Hindustani music. He was invited to dance for dignitaries like the Shah of Iran. He taught Bharatanatyam at many institutions like the Vasant Kanya Mahavidyalaya, the Vasant College at Rajghat, and the Faculty of  Performing Arts at the Banaras Hindu University. He was also instrumental in the upgradation of Bharatanatyam as a formal regular course. I occasionally watched him take dance classes at the Women’s college.

To reach out to the audience in Varanasi, he had set to tune songs in Hindustani ragas, rare in Bharatanatyam in those years. He also included compositions in north Indian languages like Hindi, Brajbhasha in the Bharatanatyam repertoire. Some of his popular items which are among my favourites, are Gaayiye Ganapati jaga vandana (Tulsidas) in Kalavati raga,  Sriramachandra kripalu bhajamana (Tulsidas) in Yaman, and Jasoda Hari palanei  jhulavai (Surdas). He composed tillanas in praise of the deities of Varanasi – On Kasi Visalakshi in Hameerkalyani raga, Adi tala, and Annapoorneswari in Hamsanadam in Khanda Triputa tala. He often exclaimed, “I lived in Banaras for 25 years, and now Banaras lives in me.”

As a teenager, I watched him dance Natanam Aadinaar - like a Nataraja bronze come alive - with his expansive movements, perfect lines and complex adavus filling the space with dynamic grace!

After he retired from the MS University in Baroda as Professor and Dean of the Faculty of  Performing Arts and moved to Chennai, our family ties got further strengthened in the early nineties, especially when he became quite an integral part of  Natyarangam’s activities (the dance wing of the Narada Gana Sabha) of which I am a core committee member. His excellent presentations for Natyarangam’s thematic festivals will long be remembered.

As the Convenor of Natyarangam’s Natya Sangraham residential camp at Thennangur for almost 20 years, he generously shared his vast knowledge. It was amazing to watch him conduct the angika sessions, where he would demonstrate with ease some of the complex and rigorous adavus, which even youngsters found difficult to dance. During the dolotsavam and Garuda sevai, it was a treat to watch his impromptu dance offerings to the deity and the way he led the participants in the dancing procession around the temple. During the late night informal thinnai sessions with the committee members and resource persons, Chandru Mama, while analysing the dance scene, would regale us with interesting anecdotes, sing songs, mimic and crack jokes, sending us into laughter! His easy informality, approachability,  and humility would make us forget that we were in the presence of a legend of Bharatanatyam.

Famous for his perfect araimandi, angasuddham, stamina, subtle abhinaya and excellent choreography, he was an inspiration to a whole generation of dancers, a role model and a mentor to several male dancers in the Chennai phase of his illustrious career. He not only composed the music for his own choreographic works, but also set the music for top dancers who requested him to do so. He has composed jatiswarams, varnams, songs and tillanas for dance. His varnam, Yennai marandanalo ninainthu ninainthu, written from the nayaka’s point of view, is very popular with the gen-next male dancers. His sartorial tastes, too, were highly aesthetic.

His depiction of sringara was always subtle and divine. I remember his performance, with wife Jaya, of the Panchavati scene from the Ramayana way back in 1978 during the golden jubilee celebrations of the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad, Bihar (now Jharkhand). It was such a beautiful and sensitive portrayal that the villagers around the campus told us that it seemed to them that Lord Rama and Sita had descended on earth to give them darshan.

He was a stickler for perfection. He believed that the beauty and essence of Indian classical dance lies in its grammar, technique and tradition. He appreciated all genres of classical natyam and respected the special features in different banis of Bharatanatyam. He would say: “There is only good dancing and bad dancing, and I cannot put up with the latter.” He did not subscribe to sensationalism and change for the sake of change but felt it should happen organically.

Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar believed one should be true to one’s art and uphold its inherent beauty. He made no compromises, nor did he seek favours. His dance and life were marked by dignity, decorum, elegance, equanimity and righteousness. He was a gentleman and a complete artist. His passing away has left a void which can never be filled.    n