Balu Bhagavatar

Balu Bhagavatar or Balasubramanya Sastrigal was born in the year 1897. He was popular as pioneering maestro behind the revival of Bhagavata Mela dance-drama when it was threatened with decline and extinction. He was born in Melattur, Thanjavur district. He studied Sanskrit under Melattur Sitarama Iyer and theatre under Bharatam Natesa Iyer. Alongside others like Pichu Bhagavatar and K. Ramani Iyer, Balu Bhagavatar began teaching young pupils Bhagavata Mela, and staged Prahlada charitram or `Prahlada`s Story in 1940. This was staged with fifteen artistes under the protection of the newly formed Melattur Lakshmi Narasimha Jayanti Bhagavata Mela Natya Nataka Sangam. Balu Bhagavatar supervised the choreography and also direction.

Over the years, the Sangam consolidated itself and gradually extended its repertoire to other plays like Parvati kalyanam i.e. `Parvati`s Nuptials` and Markandeya charitram i.e. `Markandeya`s Story`. The Melattur fraternity discovered six more eighteenth-century scripts by Venkatarama Sastri and now has twelve plays, though not all are enacted regularly. Balu Bhagavatar undertook full charge of all aspects of performance and brought the tradition back to its old vigour. Balu Bhagavatar retired in 1964 and was invited by Rukmini Devi-Arundale to Kalakshetra, Madras, to teach students about Bhagavata Mela. During his stint i.e. 1973-76 at that place, he produced Krishna janana Ma i.e. `Lila of Krishna`s Birth`. This remarkable figure of Indian theatre died in the year of 1985.