Krishna57edits at 04:18, 12 January 2026

2026-01-12T04:18:10Z

New page

{{short description|Indian choreographer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox person|
| name = K. N. Dhandayuthapani Pillai
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1921|7|14}}
| birth_place = Karikal ([[Karaikal]]), [[French India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|10|12|1921|7|14|df=y}}
| death_place = Karaikal (Karikal), [[Puducherry (union territory)|Pondicherry]], [[India]]
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Classical dancer<br />Choreographer
| yearsactive =
| known for = [[Bharatanatyam]]
| spouse = Chandra Dhandayudhapani Pillai
| domesticpartner =
| children = Dr. Uma Anand and me
| parents =
| website =
| signature =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] [[Natyakala Chakravarthy]] [[Kalaimamani]] [[Natyakalanidhi]]
}}
'''Karaikal Natesa Dhandayudhapani Pillai''' (born 14 July 1921, [[Karaikal]] - 1974) was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, considered by many as one of the leading exponents of the classical dance form of [[Bharatanatyam]]. He was also a teacher and trained multiple performers.

==Career==
Born on 14 July 1921 in Karaikal in [[French India]] (nowadays the Indian [[Union territory of Puducherry|union territory of Pondicherry]]), to A. K. Natesa Pillai, a known musician, he started training initially in music under his father, but later turned to Bharatanatyam and learned under his grandfather, who was a teacher of the dance form.<ref name="K. N. Dandayudhapani Pillai Baani">{{cite web | url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/profiles/profl193.html | title=K. N. Dandayudhapani Pillai Baani | publisher=Narthaki | work=Remembrance | date=26 March 2016 | access-date=21 August 2016 | author=Hema Rajagopalan}}</ref> Subsequently, he joined [[Kalakshetra]] of [[Rukmini Devi Arundale]] as a teacher where he taught for a number of years. He was known to have authored several compositions for Bharatanatyam<ref name="Compositions of K.N.Dandayudapani Pillai ">{{cite web | url=http://www.indian-heritage.org/lyrics/kndp.html | title=Compositions of K.N.Dandayudapani Pillai | publisher=Indian Heritage | date=2016 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="Dance rich in rhythm">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2004/09/03/stories/2004090302190400.htm | title=Dance rich in rhythm | date=3 September 2004 | newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | access-date=21 August 2016}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and trained many students; Jaya Gowri (Malaysia), Sri Vidya, J. Jayalalithaa, [[Hema Rajagopalan]], Suganthi Sadayane, Nayana Shenoy,<ref name="Nayana Shenoy">{{cite web | url=http://www.shivamdance.com/aboutus | title=Nayana Shenoy | publisher=Shivam School of Dance | date=2016 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> [[Adyar K. Lakshman]],<ref name="Adyar K. Lakshman speaks to S. Janaki">{{cite web | url=https://www.dhvaniohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cover-story.pdf | title=Adyar K. Lakshman speaks to S. Janaki | publisher=Sruti | date=May 2011 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> Uma Muralikrishna,<ref name="KothariPasricha2001">{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Kuchipudi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xa8FamiJJKgC&pg=PA221|date=January 2001|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-359-5|pages=221–}}</ref> Vijayalakshmi Shetty-Ahuja,<ref name="About Guru">{{cite web | url=http://www.natrajdance.com/aboutguru.html | title=About Guru | publisher=Natraj Dance | date=2016 | access-date=21 August 2016 | archive-date=17 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917200642/http://www.natrajdance.com/aboutguru.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> Jayalakshmi Alva<ref name="Noted Bharatanatyam dancer Jayalakshmi Alva passes away">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/noted-bharatanatyam-dancer-jayalakshmi-alva-passes-away/article7452637.ece | title=Noted Bharatanatyam dancer Jayalakshmi Alva passes away | newspaper=The Hindu | date=22 July 2015 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> and [[Geeta Chandran]]<ref name="Short Bio">{{cite web | url=http://www.geetachandran.in/Short_Bio.PDF | title=Short Bio | publisher=Geeta Chandran | date=2016 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> are some of the notable ones among them. He was the dance choreographer of a number of films in [[Telugu cinema|Telugu]], [[Tamil language film|Tamil]] and [[Hindi language cinema|Hindi]] such as ''Raja Guruvu'',<ref name="Raja Guruvu">{{cite web | url=https://thesouthernnightingale.net/2015/12/08/evaroyi-veeru-evaroyi-raja-guruvu-1954-telugu-feature-film/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318034633/http://thesouthernnightingale.net/2015/12/08/evaroyi-veeru-evaroyi-raja-guruvu-1954-telugu-feature-film/ | url-status=usurped | archive-date=18 March 2016 | title=Raja Guruvu | publisher=The Southern Nightingale | date=2016 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> [[Man-Mauji]], [[Chhaya (film)|Chhaya]], [[Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke]], [[Sri Kalahastiswara Mahatyam]] and [[Bhai-Bhai (1956 Hindi film)|Bhai-Bhai]].<ref name="Dandayudapani Pillai on IMDb">{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0433883/ | title=Dandayudapani Pillai on IMDb | publisher=Internet Movie Database | date=2016 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> He also founded Sri Rama Nataka Niketan, a dance academy in [[Chennai]] in 1967.<ref name="Sri Rama Nataka Niketan">{{cite web | url=http://www.manjularamaswamy.org/school.html | title=Sri Rama Nataka Niketan | publisher=Sri Rama Nataka Niketan | date=2016 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Shri]], in 1971, for his contributions to Dance.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2013 |access-date=20 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
His wife, Chandra Dhandayudhapani Pillai, is a known Bharatanatyam expert and teacher<ref name="Birth anniversary celebrated">{{cite web | url=http://www.carnatica.net/mmmela2001/dancereviews.html | title=Birth anniversary celebrated | publisher=Carnatica.net | date=17 December 2001 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> Her younger Sister Suria Santhanam also a noted Bharatanatyam teacher for 35 Years.<ref name="Delhi based dance guru Dakshinamoorthy Pillai passes away">
His grandson, Karthik Balaji is currently pursuing Engineering from Bharati Vidyapeeths college of Engineering.{{cite web | url=http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/general/1654-delhi-dakshinamoorthy-pillai | title=Delhi based dance guru Dakshinamoorthy Pillai passes away | publisher=Kutcherri Buzz | date=27 April 2005 | access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref>

== Death ==

He went to an eye operation in America. Following his return on 4 October, he attended his student's graduation ceremony. Later he had chest pain and was admitted to the hospital. On 12 October he died.

== See also ==
{{Portal|India}}
Sri Thandauthapanipillai was a famous bharathanatyam dancer as wells as a professional vocalist. He was born into a musical family. His grandfather was called Ramakrishnan, who was a great Bharathanaatyam artist.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name | id=nm0433883}}
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9jGByI-h3A | title=Dandayudhapani Pillai Nataikuranji Varnam by dancer Geeta Chandran | publisher=Geeta Chandran | work=[[YouTube]] video | date=26 July 2016 | access-date=21 August 2016}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, K. N. Dandayudhapani}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]
[[Category:Tamil artists]]
[[Category:Indian male dancers]]
[[Category:Bharatanatyam dancers]]
[[Category:Indian choreographers]]
[[Category:Dancers from Puducherry]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:People from Karaikal]]
[[Category:People from French India]]

{{India-musician-stub}}

K. N. Dandayudhapani Pillai - Revision history

Krishna57edits at 04:18, 12 January 2026