more-in Actor Manju Warrier first hogged the limelight as a dance prodigy at the school arts festival. N.V. Krishnan, who made her one of the brightest stars ever in the history of the festival, still remembers her performances as a schoolgirl. “Manju was a gifted dancer, and if she wanted, she could have become one of the finest Bharatanatyam dancers of the country,” he told The Hindu here on Sunday, taking a break from his classes at the Ladies Club Hall, Talap. “I remember her coming to my class, right here, as a little girl.” Kalathilakam Manju went on to win the coveted Kalathilakam twice. Her second title came at home here in 1995. She also earned a reputation as one of the best dancers ever to grace the festival stage. “My guru, the legendary V.P. Dhananjayan, had asked me to find out if she would be interested to go to Chennai and become a professional dancer,” Krishnan recalled. “I was disappointed when she stopped dancing and then quit even acting. I am glad now that she is acting and dancing again, though I feel she should also do Bharatanatyam and not just Kuchipudi.” Manju wasn’t the first Kalathilakam he has produced; Anupama Krishnan (1989) was. Actor Vineeth Kunar and Murali H. Bhatt, who won the Kalaprathibha titles, were also his disciples. “It is unfortunate that Vineeth has stopped dancing,” he said. “He had so much talent and an arresting stage presence, which a dancer needs.” He is disappointed that the Kalathilakam and Kalaprathibha titles are no longer awarded. “You have to reward the best performer in a competition,” said the Payyannur-based dancer. “And I feel the names of the prize-winners — and not just the Grade winners —- should also be announced at the venue itself.” It has been three decades since Krishnan has started training children for the School Festival. “I do not train as many students as I used to,” he said. “But I try to attend the festival at least for a few days every year.”

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