The art of a reformer

Rukmini Devi Arundale: Arts Revivalist and Institution Builder

Author:  V R Devika

Publisher: Niyogi Books

Pages: 228

Price: Rs 299

V R Devika’s biography Rukmini Devi Arundale: Arts Revivalist and Institution Builder is the latest in a series of books called “Pioneers of Modern India” published by Niyogi Books.
 

Rukmini Devi (1904-1986), the founder of Kalakshetra, a performing arts academy in Chennai, is often described as a pioneer because of her work with Bharatanatyam that has been widely appreciated across the globe. However, as Ms Devika notes, she is also criticised for “learning an art form (Sadir) that was exclusively practised by a community of Melakkarars [a marginalised community] and [making] it available to others”. This book comes across as a defence of Rukmini Devi. Ms Devika wants to tell “a completely different story” based on her research.
 

The author is a storyteller, educationist, Gandhi scholar and cultural activist, who is trained in Bharatanatyam and believes that Rukmini Devi’s legacy has been misunderstood and misrepresented. She writes, “In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, a narrative began to emerge from research done by complete outsiders to the milieu…They called Rukmini Devi an appropriator…They said she had used her upper class and caste privilege to do it.”
 

The author does not let us make up our own mind. She hopes to persuade us to agree with her. After all, she had an opportunity to meet Rukmini Devi in Chennai in the late 1970s. This personal encounter with the woman who was “beauty personified” left a deep impression.
 

While the author does not offer an overview of the research methodology used, the endnotes indicate that she conducted interviews with teachers, alumni and performers from Kalakshetra, and also went through archival documents and video footage. She cites two earlier biographies—one by Avanthi Meduri, another by Leela Samson—and uses a range of books and journal articles to build out the socio-political context in which Rukmini Devi grew up, flourished, experimented with ideas, and established herself as an authority.
 

Rukmini Devi’s ability to get things done tactfully is evident from an anecdote mentioned in the book. In 1918, for instance, she wanted to participate in a production of Rabindranath Tagore’s play Malini staged by members of the Theosophical Society. Her father, Neelakanta Shastri, who was a civil engineer, was not enthusiastic about this idea because “girls going on the stage to perform an art was frowned upon.” Ms Devika notes, “Rukmini knew how she could get what she wanted. She told him the performance was for a national cause.” She knew that her father, formerly employed by the British, and a great supporter of the Home Rule Movement would be unable to refuse. When Rukmini Devi did go up on stage, he was enthralled by his daughter’s musical talent and encouraged her to pursue music seriously.
 

Ms Devika’s book also helps us appreciate how coming into the orbit of influential cultural figures like Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Colonel H S Olcott, Annie Besant, Charles Webster Leadbeater, Anna Pavlova, and Maria Montessori enriched Rukmini Devi’s life. It was in this atmosphere that Rukmini Devi met George Arundale, who was invited to the Theosophical Society in Chennai by Ms Besant. He and Rukmini Devi grew fond of each other. Shortly after Neelakanta Shastri died, he proposed. Rukmini Devi’s mother—Seshammal—and Ms Besant gave the union their blessings despite the fact that “the marriage of a 16-year-old Brahmin girl with an English Christian man 26 years older than her” was grist for the city’s gossip mills.
 

The author does not spend too many pages on their private life. She focuses on aspects of Rukmini Devi’s work that would be of value to readers interested in the evolution of arts education in India. Ms Devika writes about Rukmini Devi’s role in “formatting Bharatanatyam for the modern age by offering training with curriculum-based institutional learning”, and creating an environment where dance was presented “as part of the revival of textile and weaving traditions, in harmony with the beauty of nature and greenery, love for animals…most importantly, education…also costuming and photography and printing”.
 

The book ventures briefly into discussing administrative issues at Kalakshetra during Rukmini Devi’s time but does not comment on the recent sexual harassment allegations that have led to the suspension of accused teachers. On the positive side, it exposes us to Rukmini Devi’s contributions beyond the world of dance. Her passionate advocacy as a member of the Rajya Sabha was instrumental in passing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. She also chaired the Animal Welfare Board of India, which was set up as a statutory body in 1962.
 

When Rukmini Devi was seriously ill, she refused to take medicines tested on animals and opted for Chinese and Tibetan medicines, acupressure and acupuncture. While many may scoff at her choice, it is a moving example of the compassion that she felt towards animals.

The reviewer is a journalist and educator who is  @chintanwriting on Instagram and X