Artistic Privilege
Neeraja Ramani has the privilege of being born into a family of artists in many fields. You can read more about their artistic works, contributions and biographies below.
Mother, KRISHANGINI – Writer / Translator
Her first short story Pushpithal was published in the monthly Kanaiyazhi independent magazine in 1982. Her short stories generally appear in independent literary magazines such as Deepam, Kanaiyazhi, Gnanaratham etc. Krishangini’s modern poems have been published in popular journals such as India Today Tamil edition, Kalki, Ananda Vikatan, etc. as well as in literary magazines.
Milzul Man a Hindi novel by Mridula Kark was Translated in Tamil titled
Inaintha Manam and Published by Sahithya Akademi –Delhi in the year 2018 as an assignment work. She has completed another assignment work for Sahitya Akademi which is Inhi(n) Hathyaro(n) se a Hindi novel by Amarkanth.
She concentrates on Dalit literature and has translated articles, poems and novels from Hindi to Tamil. This body of her work is currently being published by many publishers, and she is very actively working on this at present.
Her short stories have been identified as subjects for M.Phil research at many universities in Tamil Nadu.
Award highlights:
- Received a cash award of Rs. one lac for the Best Translator Award for the year 2019 by Tamil Nadu Government’s Tamil Development Department.
- Received Sparrow literary award (Sound and Picture Archives for Research on women – based in Bombay) for the year 2020 in recognition and appreciation of her committed translation contributions.
READ BLOG FACEBOOK (external websites with reading materials in Tamil)
Father, A.NAGARAJAN – Visual Artist
A. Nagarajan was inspired and introduced to the painting by painter K.Srinivasulu who was one of the seminal artists of Tamilnadu. He had his 1st class diploma in painting from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai in 1960 under the tutelage of K.C.S.Panikkar. He was in the group under K.Srinivasulu who painted the backdrops for kalakshetra Foundation’s dance dramas.
He has participated in many exhibitions in India and abroad and had solo shows. His works are with the museums of Chennai and Pondicherry, Lalit Kala Akademi (Delhi, Chennai) and many private collectors around the world
He has written many articles and books on the history of arts in India, schools of style, the cultural and religious impact and influence on arts and sculpture in India, modern art in India, a book on medieval, renaissance and modern arts in Europe, and an autobiography – All in Tamil.
Award Highlights:
- Received Kalaichemmal award for the year 2015-16 from the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu
READ BLOG FACEBOOK (external websites with reading materials in Tamil)
Paternal Aunt, KRISHNAVENI LAKSHAMANAN – Dancer / Choreographer / Teacher
Krishnaveni Lakshmanan (1942 – 2004) started learning dance at a very young age at Kalakshetra after Rukmini Devi Arundale noticed her talent and encouraged her to dance. She was the lead dancer in most of the dance dramas produced by Rukmini Devi at Kalakshetra. Some of them are the Ramayana dance drama series, Geetha Govindam, Kutrala Kuravanji, Kannappar Kuravanji, Ajamilopakyanam, Andal Charitram. Krishnaveni spent all her life at Kalakshetra as a student, as a lecturer and finally the principal of the institution for a brief period.
Krishnaveni Lakshmanan had many students outside kalakshetra. She has choreographed dance dramas and many short productions herself. Some of them are Kumbeswarar Kuravanji, Bhata Jayadeva, and Panchali Sapatham. She travelled internationally to perform and teach. Many dancers carry on Krishnaveni Lakshmanan’s legacy.
Award Highlights:
- ‘Kalaimamani’ – Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram, Government of Tamil Nadu, 2003
- ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’ – Government of India, 1998
- ‘UNESCO Medal’- Paris, 1984
- ‘Nritya Choodamani’ – Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, 1976
Maternal Grand Mother, POORANI – Writer
Poorani (1913 to 2013) started writing poems from an early age though she did not complete her schooling. She worked to socially uplift women by encouraging & educating them in the 1930s at Dharapuram- Tamil Nadu, through ‘Madhar Sangam’ [women’s organization] in her hometown after marriage. Poorani wrote Indian freedom struggle songs/poetries in the 1930s & 40s. She also showed her support for the widow’s life improvements in her village during that period. She, a dynamic personality studied Hindi and taught this language to others. She was writing till her last days and she was a voracious reader.
The books published are a poem collection and her autobiography Poorani Ninaivalaigal.
READ BLOG (external websites with reading materials in Tamil)
Paternal Grand Father, R.ANANTHANARAYANA – Teacher / Performer
Ananthanarayana (1900 to 1976) began his teaching profession at Pazhani Municipal High School, Later at the Rishi Valley School, Krishnamurti Foundations, and Besant Theosophical High School, in Chennai.
His interest in acting led him to become part of an amateur drama group in 1940s. He was very popular in playing women’s roles. His acting as a lady villain character was much looked forward to and was well appreciated. He penned many dramas and staged them. He took mythological stories, and social and educative subjects as themes for his dramas and gave opportunity to the students in large number to act.
Maternal Uncle, K V RAMASAMY – Writer / Theater artist
K V Ramasamy (1935 to 1995) wrote poems in free verse form. He began staging street dramas and was a pioneer of Modern Theatre in Chennai during the 1970s. He was the chief Editor for ‘Gnanaratham’ a literary monthly in Tamil in the 1970s. He was known as K.V.R. in the Tamil literary circle. He translated a drama from Marathi “Maha Nirvan” by Satish Alekar into Tamil.
Paternal Aunt, UMA SUNDARAM – Dance Teacher
Uma Sundaram (1945 to 2006) learned Bharatanatyam in kalakshetra as a part-time student. Later, she began a dance school in Chennai and taught Bharatanatyam to local and foreign students. She travelled internationally to teach students. She conducted dance performances by playing Nattuvangam.