Classical dance legend Kanak Rele passes away

Mohiniyattam exponent Dr. Kanak Rele was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2013

Classical dance legend Kanak Rele passed away on February 22, 2023. The Mohiniyattam exponent, who was awarded the first Guru Gopinath National Puraskaram of the Government of Kerala, died at the age of 85 in Mumbai.

Born to to parents Shivdas and Madhuri in 1937 Kanak spent her childhood in West Bengal’s Santiniketan. At the age of seven, Kanak was initiated into Kathakali by Guru Karunakara Panicker. The Gujarat-born Kanak had to cross insurmountable barriers once she was initiated into the male-dominated world of Kathakali. Even as the training was in progress, a nagging pain in her leg at the age of ten was diagnosed as polio. But she overcame it with her dedicated dance practice. 

Kanak created another record for herself by earning her Ph.D in dance, the first in India, in 1977. Her doctoral thesis was titled, ‘Mohini Attam: All aspects and Spheres of Influence’.

Later in 2013, Kanak was conferred the Padma Bhushan

Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais expressed condolences on the demise and in a condolence message said: “Padma Bhushan Dr Kanak Rele dedicated her entire life to the cause of promotion, propagation and research of Indian classical dance forms. She was one of the finest exponents of Mohiniyattam and Kathakali. Dr Rele made fundamental work in the field of dance through her Nalanda Dance Research Centre and the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya. She trained hundreds of students and brought classical dance close to the people. In her demise we have lost a great Nritya Tapaswini”.