Mohiniattam is not a performance, it’s a homecoming, says Gopika Varma

The celebrated Mohiniattam exponent speaks to Indulge Express about carrying her art across cultures and why every performance is a quiet act of surrender
Gopika Varma breaks down her process
Gopika Varma during one of her performances
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As she returns to the Mumbai stage, Gopika Varma opens her heart in an exclusive conversation with Indulge Express. Trained under legendary gurus and shaped by the cultural legacy of the Travancore royal family, her bond with Mohiniattam has deepened through life’s quiet trials.

Mohiniattam performer Gopika Varma will soon perform in Mumbai

After a long personal sabbatical, dance became her spiritual anchor — more than performance, it became presence. In this interview, she reflects on rediscovery after hardship, the evolving visibility of Mohiniattam, and the subtle changes she embraces to keep the tradition alive.

Do you remember the moment when Mohiniattam stopped being just a form you learned and became something deeply your own? How has your relationship with it evolved over time?

That defining moment came after my son’s illness. I turned to dance not to perform, but to heal — to offer prayer. It became the language of my spirit. Though trained under masters like Padma Bhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan and Guru Kalamandalam Satyabhama, only after this return did Mohiniattam become truly mine.

My marriage into the Travancore royal family, immersed in Swathi Thirunal’s compositions, deepened that connection. The form became my breath.

Mohiniattam dancer Gopika Varma during a show
Gopika Varma during a show

You carry forward the legacy of Guru Kalyanikutty Amma with such commitment. In what ways do you stay rooted in tradition, and where do you allow yourself to reinterpret or respond to the present moment?

My foundation lies in the expressive style of Guru Kalyanikutty Amma — graceful, lyrical, deeply feminine. While I uphold that lineage with care, I also believe tradition must breathe. I’ve introduced small refinements: adjusting costume drapes for clarity on stage, refreshing music, refining aharya — all without losing the soul. These shifts make the art accessible without compromise.

When you perform Mohiniattam in a city like Mumbai, far from its roots in Kerala, does it change how you connect with the audience, or how you approach the performance itself?

This time I am performing at Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, which offers a rare energy. The audience is curious, not always familiar with Mohiniattam, but highly receptive. At one recital, after presenting a piece on feminine strength, several viewers asked for the lyrics backstage. That kind of dialogue moves me. It tells me that tradition can travel — and that it can be felt beyond geography.

There’s growing interest in Mohiniattam beyond classical circles, with reports of mainstream actors like Janhvi Kapoor training in it for upcoming films. Do you see this kind of visibility as a way to broaden the form’s reach, or does it risk simplifying its essence?

Mohiniattam is quietly finding its place. I teach across six time zones; students come from various classical forms, drawn by its introspective power. When actors like Janhvi Kapoor train in it, it opens new eyes to the form. But classical art must be approached with sincerity. This isn’t just aesthetic — it’s practice, discipline, and devotion. If even one person begins with curiosity and stays for its depth, that visibility has done something right.

Final reflection

Mohiniattam, for me, is moonlight in motion — resilient, graceful, inward. As more people discover it, I hope they see what I see: not a performance, but a homecoming. A return to breath, to balance, and to something timeless.

(By Arundhuti Banerjee)

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