“It is sad that there are no historical references about the many pioneer artists who achieved achievements in the fields of music and dance,” says Bharata dancer Reshmi Badiad.
Master Vidwan Palaniappan has been running a Bharatnatyam school in Coimbatore named ‘Sree Sakthi Natya Kala Santhiya’ for more than 50 years. Thousands of students have studied Bharatanatyam from him. Many actresses, including Ammukutty, Raja Sulosana, Pushpa Mala and today’s comedian Kowai Sarala, have studied dance with him. Reshmi Bhatiad is the most prominent among them. His hometown is Palakkad. He has been living in Coimbatore for many years. Currently living in Perur, he has written an English book titled ‘A path untrodden … life of an unsung artist’ documenting the life of the Palaniappan master. He runs a Bharatanatyam school abroad and is also a documentary film director. We met him…”Palaniappan Master, born in 1929, is a native of Kerala. At an early age, his family moved to Coimbatore. A scholar of Carnatic music and Bharata Natyam, he ran the Sri Shakti Natya Kala Sthanam in Coimbatore. Before the 1950s, most films were made at the Batchirajah and Central Studios in Coimbatore. Many actors including MK Thyagaraja Bhagavadhar, MGR, NS Krishnan were acting from Coimbatore. In many films then, Palaniappan was the master choreographer and art director. I learned dance from him since childhood. Although he is a legend in dance, no one has documented his artistic career. It is sad that there are no historical references not only about him but also about many pioneering artists who achieved achievements in the fields of music and dance. I have documented the life path and journey of Master Palaniappan in this book so that the students can know about it,” he said.
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