A well-known female classical dancer has said the Kerala dance form Mohiniyattam is not for men and trashed a male dancer saying he has a “crow’s colour”, outraging artists and politicians in the southern state.

“Kalamandalam” Sathyabhama, 66, a Mohiniyattam dancer for about four decades, repeatedly alluded to “that man from Chalakudy (a town in Thrissur)” in a recent interview with a YouTube channel and made disparaging comments against him and his skin colour.

She later defended herself saying she had not named
anyone.

However, Chalakudy happens to be the hometown of one of the few male exponents of Mohiniyattam, R.L.V. Ramakrishnan, 48, a Dalit who has in the past too alleged caste discrimination within
the fraternity.

“Mohiniyattam should be performed by mohinis (women). This man is of a crow’s colour. In this dance form, the dancer performs with the legs spread. There is nothing cruder than a man dancing Mohiniyattam with his legs spread apart,”Sathyamabhatold the channel.

“Mohiniyattam is not for boys. Anyway, they should be very handsome (if they have to practise it at all).
But if you look at him… even his mother won’t tolerate him (because of his physical appearance).”

Ramakrishnan told reporters on Thursday: “Apart from being an attack on me, her remarks will deter the newer generations from pursuing these art forms (if they don’t fit in with Sathyabhama’s ideas of beauty),” Ramakrishnan told reporters.

He said he would lodge a police complaint.

Sathyabhama on Thursday told reporters: “I have no regrets. I will say this again.”

She said she advises her dark-complexioned (female) students not to enter into any competitions. “I train them but I tell them not to go to any competition and instead perform at temples,” she said.

Sathyabhama — whose honorific of “Kalamandalam” is one used widely by graduates of the taxpayer-funded Kerala Kalamandalam in Thrissur — said dance competitions set aside 10 marks for the “beauty” of the dancer.

She attacked celebrated classical dancers Methil Devika and Neena Prasad who had condemned her remarks, saying: “I don’t need any certificate from Methil Devika or Neena Prasad.”

Ramakrishnan had in 2020 taken an overdose of sleeping pills after the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy refused to let him perform at a dance festival. He later attributed his suicide attempt to the sustained caste discrimination he had allegedly suffered at the hands of officials and artistes, most of them from the
upper castes.

Left and Congress politicians criticised Sathyabhama and expressed solidarity with Ramakrishnan.

The minister for SC/ST welfare, K. Radhakrishnan, said: “No one who loves art should stoop to this level of thinking. We will take action if Ramakrishnan lodges
a complaint.”

The Kerala Kalamandalam has issued a statement saying Sathyabhama’s continued use of its name is a “blot” on the institution.

“It is a blot on this institution that a person who makes statements unfit for a cultured society uses its name,” the statement said.

The deemed university clarified that Sathyabhama has no connection with it other than being a former student.