Thankamani Gopinath, also known as Kalamandalam Thankamani, was a prominent Mohiniyattam and Kerala Nadanam dancer from Thrissur, Kerala. She was married to Guru Gopinath – Kathakali legend of the 20th century, who developed Kerala Natanam. The couple has performed together and taught many disciples. Thankamani is considered an icon in the history of women’s progress in Kerala, as she stepped into the art world at a time when learning and performing dance were considered taboo by conservative Kerala society.
Thankamani Gopinath – Exponent of Mohiniyattam and Kerala Nadanam
Thankamani Gopinath was born on 27 March 1918 at Kunnamkulam, near Guruvayur of present-day Thrissur district. Panthalat Govindan Nair and Mangat Mulakkal Kunjikavamma were her parents.
When Vallathol instituted Kerala Kalamandalam for higher studies of Kerala art forms, she became the first batch student. She was the first student of Mohiniyattam at Kalamandalam, Thrissur district.
First Mohiniyattam student at Kalamandalam
She was one among the first batch of students at Kerala Kalamandalam. Later, she married Guru Gopinath, who also belonged to the first batch in the art school. The couple had 3 daughters and one son – Venugopal, Vinodini Sasimohan, Vilasini and Vasanthi. While the daughters stepped deeply into dance and performance, Guru Gopinath’s son Venugopal kept a relatively low profile.
Their daughter, Vinodini Sasimohan, is the Chief Administrative Officer of Viswa Kala Kendra, Thiruvananthapuram. She has also worked as a child artist in Malayalam films in the 1960s. She played the titular role in the mythological film, Devi Kanyakumari – her most popular role. Their daughter, Vilasini, became an IAS officer in Gujarat.
Gopinath has appeared in a few movies, while Thankamani was a singing actress of 1941 Malayalam movie Prahlada. Guru Gopinath played Hiranyakasipu, while Thankamani played Kayathu in this mythological film. It was the third talkie of Malayalam cinema.
Thankamani Gopinath popularized Kerala Natanam after marriage
During the 1940s and 1950s, Gopinath and Thankamani were a popular dance pair on stage. Though she performed Mohiniyattam before marriage, slowly she started promoting Kerala Natanam, a classical dance form created by her husband. After the marriage, Thangamani gradually stopped performing Mohiniyattam. The couple together popularized this dance form, and she made a significant contribution to its formation.
She taught dance at Sree Chitrodaya Dance College, the first dance school in Travancore. She taught the Travancore Sisters, who later established themselves as prominent Indian film actresses across different languages.
Thankamani Gopinath passed away on 28 December 1990, three years after the death of Guru Gopinath. Her 100th birth anniversary was celebrated in 2018.
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