Thrissur: R L V Ramakrishnan, actor-dancer and brother of late actor Kalabhavan Mani, responded to Kalamandalam Sathyabhama’s casteist remarks through a facebook post.  “The person has the complexion of a crow and is not apt for Mohiniyattam performance,” said Sathyabhama in an interview without naming Ramakrishnan. But it is said that, the person she was aiming was Ramakrishnan himself.

Ramakrishnan’s response

"Dear art lovers,

An artist who has the invaluable Kalamandalam name attached with her  has been constantly insulting me for some time now. She says that I have a black complexion like that of a crow and only people who are handsome and fair complexioned should perform Mohiniyattam. She declares that not even my mother could bear to see me because of my looks. She also states that only beautiful women should perform Mohiniyattam. She has also mentioned that I do not have enough educational qualifications. 

She says that I learnt something in an institution somewhere. I have, however, established myself in this field after studying honestly and succeeding. I am an artist who joined Tripunithura RLV Mohiniyattam School in 1996 and graduated from there. After completing 4 years of diploma and post diploma, I graduated from MG University with first rank. Moreover, I have graduated from “her” Kalamandalam with top score in MPhil in Performing Arts. I have also completed my PhD in Mohiniyattam from there. Also, I have qualified UGC’s NET examination qualification for assistant professor. I have worked for more than 15 years as a guest lecturer in the Department of Mohiniyattam in RLV College as well as Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit.

This respectable teacher, who has the Kalamandalam name attached to hers, has insulted me at Kalamandalam even before this incident. She is not comfortable with me having a PhD in Mohiniyattam and working in the field of Mohiniyattam performance. It is because of such people that an artist from scheduled caste cannot survive in the field of dance. People with such rotten minds will definitely be brought before the law.”