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'''Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma''' (1915 – 1999) was an epoch-making [[Mohiniyattam]] danseuse from [[Kerala]] in southern [[India]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kloqAQAAIAAJ&q=Kalamandalam+Kalyanikutty+Amma|title=South Indian theatre|last=Sinha|first=Biswajit|date=2007|publisher=Raj Publications|isbn=9788186208540|language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Citation|last=Sahapedia|title=Remembering Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma|date=2017-02-15|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAfE8CbBGLQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/bAfE8CbBGLQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-06-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Kalyanikutty Amma, one of the early-batch students of [[Kerala Kalamandalam]], was married to the late [[Kathakali]] maestro [[Padma Shri]] [[Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/unsung-legends-who-resurrected-two-dying-arts-of-kerala/article5894374.ece|title=Unsung legends who resurrected two dying arts of Kerala|author=Staff Reporter|date=2014-04-10|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-06-17|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Of the two books Kalyanikutty Amma has authored, "Mohiniyattam - History and Dance Structure" is considered as an elaborate and only authentic documentation on Mohiniyattam.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sahapedia.org/traditions-mohiniyattam|title=Traditions in Mohiniyattam|date=2017-02-07|work=Sahapedia|access-date=2018-06-18|language=en}}</ref> Noted among her disciples are her daughters Sreedevi Rajan, [[Kala Vijayan]], [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]], [[Deepti Omchery Bhalla]] and [[Smitha Rajan]].{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Profiles - KALYANIKUTTY AMMA|url=https://narthaki.com/info/profiles/profil17.html|access-date=2021-06-23|website=narthaki.com}}</ref>

A winner of both the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy and Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi awards, Kalyanikutty Amma has also been honored with the prestigious Kalidasa Samman in 1997–1998. She died on 12 May 1999 in [[Tripunithura]] (where the couple had settled) at the age of 84. Her son [[Kalasala Babu]] was a cinema and television actor, while her granddaughter [[Smitha Rajan]] is a noted Mohiniyattam artiste.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

She got 'Kavayithri' award from the famous poet [[Vallathol Narayana Menon]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-dance/classical/mohiniattam.html|title=Mohini Attam – The Traditional Dance of Kerala!|access-date=2018-06-18|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1986 she got Kerala Kalamandala Fellowship.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma who is considered as the mother|url=https://smitharajan.tripod.com/kalyanikuttyamma.html|access-date=2021-06-23|website=smitharajan.tripod.com}}</ref>

In 2019 her grand daughter, [[Smitha Rajan]] produced a movie, "Mother of Mohiniyattam" on the life and works of Kalyanikutty Amma which is directed by Dr. [[Vinod Mankara]].

Kalyanikutty Amma passed the art of Mohiniyattam beyond India. The first Russian dancer, Mohiniyattam, was [[:ru:Милана Северская (Мандира)|Milana Severskaya]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.milana-art.ru/html/common/publicat/eng/ye181096.html|title=YOUTHEXPRESS 18/10/1996|website=www.milana-art.ru|access-date=2018-06-17}}</ref> In 1997, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma blessed her on the continuation of the Mohiniyattam tradition. Milana Severskaya created in [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg]], Russia the first outside India school of education Mohiniattam. She founded the Natya Theater, where you can see the choreography Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma in the play, dedicated to her memory. Milana Siverskaya has released a film dedicated to the memory of the guru Kalyanikutty Amma in which one can see how the guru taught dance in deep old age.<ref>{{Citation|last=Milana Mandira Severskaya|title=Mandira. Mohini Attam In Russia - true story.|date=2014-05-07|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m95pAOkW3c |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/-m95pAOkW3c |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-06-17}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==
*[http://www.keralatourism.org/event/others/she-gave-rebirth-to-mohiniyattom-95.php About Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080917033345/http://ignca.nic.in/fdc_body.htm IGNCA Documentations]
*[http://www.ignca.gov.in/nl_00814.htm IGNCA Documentations]
*[http://www.narthaki.com/info/profiles/profil17.html Narthaki.com Profiles/Kalamandalam Kalayanikutty Amma]
*[http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMonline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?articleType=travel&contentId=732917&programId=1073751464&contentType=EDITORIAL&BV_ID=@@@ Mohiniyattom ManoramaOnline.com Articles on Culture]

== See also ==
* [[Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair]]
* [[Indian women in dance]]
* [[Smitha Rajan]]

{{Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Winners of Kerala}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Amma, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty}}
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Dancers from Kerala]]
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:Performers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:Mohiniyattam exponents]]
[[Category:Indian dance teachers]]
[[Category:Indian female classical dancers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:People from Malappuram district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:Women educators from Kerala]]
[[Category:Teachers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Educators from Kerala]]
[[Category:Women artists from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]

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Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma - Revision history

UpdateBot at 21:46, 6 February 2022