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{{short description|Indian choreographer and filmmaker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{infobox person
| name = Brinda Master
| image =
| caption =
| alt =
| birth_name = Brinda Gopal
| birth_place = [[Erode, Tamil Nadu]], India
| occupation = {{hlist|Choreographer|director}}
| years_active = 1987–present
| children =
| spouse =
| relatives = {{plainlist|
* [[Kala (choreographer)|Kala]] (sister)
* [[Raghuram]] (brother-in-law)
* [[Gayathri Raguram]] (niece)
* [[Prasanna Sujit]] (nephew)
*[[Keerthi Shanthanu]] (niece)}}
}}

'''Brinda Gopal''', known professionally as '''Brinda Master''', is an Indian dance [[choreographer]] and [[Film director|director]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 September 2022 |title='Thugs' first look promises a raw and violent film from Brinda Gopal |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/thugs-first-look-promises-a-raw-and-violent-film-from-brinda-gopal/articleshow/94047650.cms |access-date=5 March 2024 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=11 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111164953/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/thugs-first-look-promises-a-raw-and-violent-film-from-brinda-gopal/articleshow/94047650.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> who primarily works in [[South Indian cinema]]. She has choreographed dance sequences for various Indian films. She has won one [[National Film Award for Best Choreography]],<ref name="46thawardPDF">{{cite web |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/46_nff_1999.pdf |title=46th National Film Awards |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |access-date=12 March 2012 |archive-date=10 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310180429/http://dff.nic.in/2011/46_nff_1999.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer]], twice and [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography]], four times.<ref name="Tamilnadu State Awards 2007 & 2008">{{cite web |url=http://www.tamilnaduentertainment.com/tamil.asp?hotclick=stateawards.txttm |title=amilnadu State Awards 2007 & 2008 |publisher=[[Dinakaran]] |access-date=30 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202225018/http://www.tamilnaduentertainment.com/tamil.asp?hotclick=stateawards.txttm |archive-date=2 December 2013}}</ref>

==Early life==
Brinda Gopal was born into a family of seven girls to Mani Iyer, a caterer, and a homemaker in Erode.<ref>[https://www.thehindu.com/mp/2005/10/29/stories/2005102900080400.htm]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> An elder sister Jayanthi, first started dancing and acted as heroine in two films – ''[[Uthiripookkal]]'' and ''Poottatha Pookkal''. Brindha's second sister Girija, learned Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra; and went to work with choreographers Thangam and later [[Raghuram|Raghuram Master]], whom she married later, and also become an independent choreographer. [[Kala (choreographer)|Kala]], a leading choreographer, is her elder sister.<ref>Ethiraj, Gopal. (21 September 2009) [http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/09/21/sunday-celebritykala-master-she-%E2%80%98sagala-kala-vallavi%E2%80%99 Sunday celebrity:Kala Master: she is 'sagala Kala vallavi'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703144856/http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/09/21/sunday-celebritykala-master-she-%E2%80%98sagala-kala-vallavi%E2%80%99 |date=3 July 2013 }}. Asian Tribune. Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref><ref>[http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/july-06-01/07-07-06-sneha.html Tamil movies : Dancing sisters' war dance against Sneha] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306082921/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/july-06-01/07-07-06-sneha.html |date=6 March 2013 }}. Behindwoods.com (7 July 2006). Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref>

One of her nephews, [[Prasanna Sujit]], is also a film choreographer. One of her niece [[Gayathri Raguram|Gayathri Raghuram]], daughter of late Raghuram Master and her sister Girija is also a choreographer and an actress. She has also introduced her another niece Keerthi, daughter of Jayanthi Master and wife of actor [[Shanthanu Bhagyaraj|Shanthanu Baghyaraj]], as an anchor in her dance reality show ''[[Maanada Mayilada]]''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090306184645/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/10/27/stories/2008102750540300.htm Metro Plus Kochi / People : She makes them dance to her tunes]. The Hindu (27 October 2008). Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref>

==Career==
Through the Bollywood film ''[[Insaf Ki Pukar]]'' she started her career as an assistant choreographer in 1987.She became independent choreographer with the 2000 Tamil film ''[[Mugavaree]]'' which features [[Ajith Kumar]] and [[Jyothika]] in lead roles. She was awarded the '[[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer]] by the state government at [[Tamil Nadu State Film Awards]] in 2000 for her work for that film.

==Selected filmography==

{{Pending films key}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+As choreographer
!Years
! Title
!Language
!Notes
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|1987
| ''[[Insaf Ki Pukar]]''
|[[Hindi]]
| rowspan="6" |Assistant choreographer||
|-
| rowspan="2" |1988
|''[[Aakhari Poratam]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Telugu language|Telugu]]||
|-
| ''[[Janaki Ramudu]]'' ||
|-
|1989
| ''[[Prem Pratigyaa]]''
| rowspan="3" |Hindi||
|-
|1991
| ''[[Phool Aur Kaante]]'' ||
|-
|1993
| ''[[Jaagruti]]'' ||
|-
|1997
|''[[Arunachalam (film)|Arunachalam]]''
|[[Tamil language|Tamil]]
|
|
|-
|1997
|''[[Preminchukundam Raa]]''
|Telugu
|
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Daya (film)|Daya]]''
|[[Malayalam]]
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1999
|''[[Naanu Nanna Hendthiru]]''
|[[Kannada]]
|
|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cscsarchive.org/MediaArchive/art.nsf/(docid)/DB9EEFAFC171129E65256940004C8A57?OpenDocument |title=Naanu Nanna Hendtheeru |work=[[The Hindu]] |via=csc.archive.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609093946/http://www.cscsarchive.org/MediaArchive/art.nsf/(docid)/DB9EEFAFC171129E65256940004C8A57?OpenDocument |archive-date=9 June 2020}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Minsara Kanna]]''
| rowspan="5" |Tamil
|
|
|-
|2000
|''[[Mugavaree]]''
|
|
|-
|2003
| ''[[Kaakha Kaakha]]''
| ||
|-
|2004
| ''[[Madurey]]''
| ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2005
|''[[Chandramukhi]]''
|
|
|-
|''[[Udayananu Tharam]]''
|Malayalam
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2006
|''[[Aathi]]''
| rowspan="5" |Tamil
|
|
|-
|''[[Sillunu Oru Kaadhal]]''
|
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2007
|''[[Deepavali (2007 film)|Deepavali]]''
|
|
|-
| ''[[Sivaji: The Boss]]''
|
|
|-
|''[[Azhagiya Tamil Magan]]''
|
|
|-
|''[[Vinodayathra]]''
| rowspan="2" |Malayalam
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2008
|''[[Calcutta News (film)|Calcutta News]]''
|
|
|-
| ''[[Dasavathaaram]]''
| rowspan="6" |Tamil
| ||
|-
| ''[[Vaaranam Aayiram]]''
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2011
| ''[[Engeyum Kadhal]]''
|
|
|-
| ''[[Velayudham]]''
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2013
| ''[[Kadal (2013 film)|Kadal]]''
| ||
|-
| ''[[Thalaivaa]]''
| ||
|-
| ''[[Bullett Raja]]''
|Hindi
| ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|''[[Maan Karate]]''
|Tamil
| ||
|-
| ''[[PK (film)|PK]]''
|Hindi
| ||
|-
| 2015
|''[[Kaaki Sattai]]''
| rowspan="9" |Tamil
| ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016
|''[[Rajinimurugan]]''
|
|
|-
|''[[Remo (film)|Remo]]''
|
|
|-
|2017
|''[[Kaatru Veliyidai]]''
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2018
|''[[Kaala (2018 film)|Kaala]]''
|
|
|-
|''[[Sarkar (2018 film)|Sarkar]]''
|
|
|-
|2019
|''[[Nerkonda Paarvai]]''
|
|
|-
|2020
|''[[Darbar (film)|Darbar]]''
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2021
|''[[Sulthan (2021 film)|Sulthan]]''
|
|
|-
|''[[Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea]]''
|Malayalam
|
|
|-
|''[[Annaatthe]]''
| rowspan="5" |Tamil
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2022
| ''[[Don (2022 film)|Don]]''
| ||
|-
| ''[[Ponniyin Selvan: I]]''
| ||
|-
|2023
| ''[[Ponniyin Selvan: II]]''
| ||
|-
|2025
|[[Thug Life (2025 film)|''Thug Life'']]
|Co-choreographer
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-23 |title=Trisha Krishnan Preps For A Dance Sequence In Mani Ratnam's Thug Life, Calls It 'Gruelling' |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/tamil/trisha-rehearses-for-a-dance-sequence-for-thug-life-article-110347419 |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=Times Now |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2026
|[[Nari Nari Naduma Murari (2026 film)|''Nari Nari Naduma Murari'']]
|Telugu
|
|
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+As Actress
!Year
!Title
!Role
|-
|1994
|''[[Nammavar]]''
|Nirmala
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+As director
!Year
!Title
!Notes
|-
|2022
|''[[Hey Sinamika]]''
| rowspan="2" |Also choreographer
|-
|2023
|''[[Thugs (film)|Thugs]]''
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Music Video
!Years
!Songs
!Works
!Notes
|-
|2022
|"Gandhari"
|Director & Choreographer
|Music Video
|}

==Awards and honours==
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Award category
! Winner
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| 1997 || [[Filmfare Award for Best Choreography – South]]|| ''[[Preminchukundam Raa]]''||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmfare.com/site/august98/south2a.htm |title=Filmfare - South Special |website=filmfare.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991110064329/http://www.filmfare.com/site/august98/south2a.htm |archive-date=10 November 1999 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|1998 || [[National Film Award for Best Choreography]] ||''[[Daya (film)|Daya]]'' ||<ref name="46thawardPDF"/>
|-
| 2000 || [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer]] ||''[[Mugavaree]]'' || <ref name="indiaglitz.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/10733.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041024060415/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/10733.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 October 2004 |title=Tamil Nadu announces film awards for three years |website=IndiaGlitz.com |access-date=19 October 2009}}</ref>
|-
| 2003 || [[Filmfare Award for Best Choreography – South]]||''[[Kaaka Kaaka|Kaakha Kaakha]]''||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/9366.html |title=Pithamagan sweeps FilmFare Awards – Tamil Movie News |website=IndiaGlitz |date=5 June 2004 |access-date=3 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102112834/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/9366.html |archive-date=2 November 2013}}</ref>
|-
| 2005 || [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography]] ||''[[Udayananu Tharam]]'' ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2007 || Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer || ''[[Deepavali (2007 film)|Deepavali]]''||<ref name="Tamilnadu State Awards 2007 & 2008"/>
|-
| Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography ||''[[Vinodayathra]]''||
|-
| 2008 || Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography ||''[[Calcutta News (film)|Calcutta News]]''||
|-
| 2017 || [[Vijay Award for Best Choreographer]] ||''[[Kaatru Veliyidai]]''||
|-
| 2021 || Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography ||''[[Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham]]''||<ref>{{cite news |title=50th Kerala State Film Awards: Winners list |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/50th-kerala-state-film-awards-winners-list-6723151/ |access-date=13 October 2020 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=13 October 2020 |archive-date=15 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015195910/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/50th-kerala-state-film-awards-winners-list-6723151/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

==See also==
* [[Indian women in dance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|1247482}}
{{Filmfare Award for Best Choreography – South}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Master, Brinda}}
[[Category:Indian film choreographers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Indian women choreographers]]
[[Category:Indian female dancers]]
[[Category:Dancers from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Women artists from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Indian choreographers]]
[[Category:Best Choreography National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Filmfare Awards South winners]]

Brinda Master - Revision history

Commercial Noida at 08:21, 4 February 2026