{{short description|Indian dance choreographer (born 1971)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}} {{infobox person | name = Kala Master | image = | image size = | alt = | birth_name = Kala | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1970|03|26}} | birth_place = Chennai, India | death_date = | years_active = 1984–present | children = Vidyuth (b.2007) | spouse = {{plainlist| * Govindarajan (m.1997; div.1999) * Mahesh (m.2004–present)}} | relatives = {{plainlist| * Brindha (sister) * Raghuram (brother-in-law) * Gayathri Raguram (niece) * Prasanna Sujit (nephew) *Keerthi Shanthanu (niece)}} | occupation = {{hlist|Dance choreographer|reality television judge}} }}
'''Kala''', known professionally as '''Kala Master''', is an Indian choreographer. She is the director of the Indian reality dance talent show, ''Maanada Mayilada'' – where she is one of the three judges.<ref>[http://movies.rediff.com/report/2010/jul/13/south-tv-interview-with-kala-master.htm The dancing queen of Tamil TV – Rediff.com Movies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203040556/http://movies.rediff.com/report/2010/jul/13/south-tv-interview-with-kala-master.htm |date=3 December 2013 }}. Movies.rediff.com (13 July 2010). Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref> She was awarded the National Film Award for Best Choreography in 2000 for her folk dance sequences in the Malayalam film, ''Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal''.<ref name="48thawardPDF">{{cite web |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/48th_nff_2001.pdf |title=48th National Film Awards |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |access-date=13 March 2012 |format=PDF |archive-date=29 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195537/http://dff.nic.in/2011/48th_nff_2001.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[http://dff.nic.in/2011/48th_nff_2001.pdf 48th National Film Awards] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195537/http://dff.nic.in/2011/48th_nff_2001.pdf |date=29 October 2013 }}.nic.in</ref> She is also classically trained in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak dance forms.
==Career==
A trained classical dancer with the Nritya Kalanithi award for Bharatanatyam in 1990, Kala, a school drop out, entered the film industry through the influence of her brother-in-law, the choreographer Raghuram. Making her debut as an assistant choreographer at the age of 12 in 1982, she got a break during the making of ''Punnagai Mannan'' in 1986 starring Kamal Haasan and Revathi, as director K. Balachander suggested Kala fill in for the busy Raghuram.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040108122755/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2003/10/06/stories/2003100600300200.htm In her footsteps]. The Hindu (6 October 2003). Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref> She was then chosen again by Balachandar as the lead choreographer for ''Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal'' (1989).
She has since worked in over 4000 songs in various languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada, Oriya, Bengali, English, Italian and Japanese. She has referred to the "Kozhi Koovum Neram achu" song in ''Azhagan'' as one of her leading pieces of work and also referred actress Bhanupriya as her favorite dancer. She was handed the opportunity to choreograph the Miss World 1996 Beauty Pageant held at Bangalore for which she received a special award of excellence. Moreover, she notes that a stage event in Malaysia featuring Prashanth and seven heroines, propelled her into fame. She was awarded the National Film Award for Best Choreography in 2000 for her folk dance sequences in the Malayalam film, ''Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal''.<ref>[http://dff.nic.in/2011/48th_nff_2001.pdf 48th National Film Awards] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195537/http://dff.nic.in/2011/48th_nff_2001.pdf |date=29 October 2013 }}. nic.in</ref> She became the first to start a cinematic dance school named Kala's Kalalaya which has five branches in Chennai. She manages it along with her sisters. Kala's merit is in popularising a peculiar dance form, cobbled together with borrowings from classical, Indian folk, bhangra and western steps.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071201173036/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/10/29/stories/2005102900080400.htm Metro Plus Pondicherry / Interview : Master of moves]. The Hindu (29 October 2005). Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref> She also won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer for her work in ''Chandramukhi''.
She has since gone to specialise in directing dance reality shows, notably ''Maanada Mayilada'', which has finished nine seasons.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090306184645/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/10/27/stories/2008102750540300.htm Metro Plus Kochi / People : She makes them dance to her tunes]. The Hindu (27 October 2008). Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref> She is currently judging dance reality show Odi Vilayadu Papa in Kalaignar TV.
==Selected filmography== ===Choreographer=== {| class="wikitable" ! Movie ! Song ! year ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | ''Punnagai Mannan'' || rowspan="4" | Choreographer || 1986 ||<ref>{{Cite news |last=Umashanker |first=Sudha |date=6 October 2003 |title=In her footsteps |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/10/06/stories/2003100600300200.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=16 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040117200600/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/10/06/stories/2003100600300200.htm |archive-date=17 January 2004}}</ref> |- |''Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal'' ||1989||<ref>{{Cite news |title=Cinema Rendezvous – Come lets date- Kala Master & All That Jazz |work=Time Out |url=https://www.timeout.com/chennai/events/come-lets-date-kala-master-kochukochu-sandoshangal |url-status=dead |access-date=11 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411054841/https://www.timeout.com/chennai/events/come-lets-date-kala-master-kochukochu-sandoshangal |archive-date=11 April 2018}}</ref> |- |''Chandramukhi'' || 2005 ||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=17257 |title=Rajnikant, Kamal Haasan adjudged Best Actors |work=Screenindia |date=28 September 2007 |access-date=14 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208040445/http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=17257 |archive-date=8 December 2008}}</ref> |- |''Darbar'' || 2020 ||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=17257 |title=Rajnikant, Kamal Haasan adjudged Best Actors |work=Screenindia |date=28 September 2007 |access-date=14 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208040445/http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=17257 |archive-date=8 December 2008}}</ref> |- | ''Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal'' ||Actor || 2022 || <ref>{{Cite web |date=22 October 2021 |title=நயன்தாரா படம் மூலம் நடிகையாக அறிமுகமாகும் கலா மாஸ்டர் |url=https://cinema.maalaimalar.com/cinema/cinemanews/2021/10/22084944/3122941/Tamil-cinema-Kala-Master-acting-in-nayanthara-movie.vpf |access-date=23 October 2021 |website=maalaimalar.com |language=Tamil |archive-date=23 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023034955/https://cinema.maalaimalar.com/cinema/cinemanews/2021/10/22084944/3122941/Tamil-cinema-Kala-Master-acting-in-nayanthara-movie.vpf |url-status=live }}</ref> |- |}
===Singer=== {| class="wikitable" ! Movie ! Song ! year ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- |''Thiru Vi Ka Poonga''||"Naalai Ellam Nalam"||2015||<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbDpMZeJUXs|time=25:50 to 27:10|title=Naalai Ellam Nalamthane Song was sung by me 😳 - Kala Master Revealed {!} #chandramukhi2|via=YouTube|language=ta|publisher=Kumudam online|date=31 August 2023|access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref> |- |}
==Personal life==
Kala was born into a family of seven girls and revealed that she was brought up in a one-room house during her childhood. An elder sister, Jayanthi, first started dancing and acted as heroine in two films – ''Uthiripookkal'' and ''Poottatha Pookkal''. Kala’s second sister Girija learned Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra; and went on to work with choreographers Thangam and later Raghuram Master, whom she married afterwards, and also become an independent choreographer. Kala was the sixth daughter, while Brinda, a leading choreographer, is her youngest sister.<ref>Ethiraj, Gopal. (21 September 2009) [http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/09/21/sunday-celebritykala-master-she-%E2%80%98sagala-kala-vallavi%E2%80%99 Sunday celebrity:Kala Master: she is ‘sagala Kala vallavi’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703144856/http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/09/21/sunday-celebritykala-master-she-%E2%80%98sagala-kala-vallavi%E2%80%99 |date=3 July 2013 }}. Asian Tribune. Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref>
One of her nephews, Prasanna Sujit, is also a film choreographer. Her niece Gayathri Raguram, daughter of late Raghuram and her sister Girija is also a choreographer and an actor. She has also introduced another niece Keerthi, daughter of Jayanthi and wife of actor Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, as an anchor in her dance reality show ''Manada Mayilada''.
Kala was previously married to UAE-based businessman, Govindarajan in 1997, who is the brother of actress Sneha. Kala had initially shifted to Dubai after her marriage but problems prompted her to return to Chennai and take up choreographing again. The pair got divorced in 1999, and soon after Kala and Brindha controversially made derogatory comments about Sneha's dancing ability to a magazine.<ref>[http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/july-06-01/07-07-06-sneha.html Tamil movies : Dancing sisters’ war dance against Sneha] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306082921/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/july-06-01/07-07-06-sneha.html |date=6 March 2013 }}. Behindwoods.com (7 July 2006). Retrieved 2013-11-30.</ref>
She married Mahesh in 2004. It was a love marriage. The couple has a son born in 2007.
==Television==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90% width:75%" |- style="text-align:center;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Show ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Channel |- |rowspan=2|2006 | ''Jodi Number One (season 1)'' | rowspan="4" | Judge | STAR Vijay |- |''Super Dancer'' |Amrita TV |- |rowspan=2|2007 |''Super Dancer 2'' | rowspan="2" |Amrita TV |- |''Super Dancer JUNIOR'' |- | 2008 | ''Odi Vilayadu Papa'' | rowspan="2" | Director / Judge | Kalaignar TV |- | 2008–2013 | ''Maanada Mayilada'' (1-8 seasons) | Kalaignar TV |- | 2014 | '' D 4 Dance'' (Season 1) | rowspan="2" | Judge | Mazhavil Manorama (Malayalam) |- | 2022 | ''Pottikku Potti – R U Ready'' | Colors Tamil |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|1018238}}
{{National Film Award Best Choreography}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Master, Kala}} Category:Indian film choreographers Category:Living people Category:Artists from Chennai Category:Indian women choreographers Category:Indian choreographers Category:Indian female dancers Category:1971 births Category:Dancers from Tamil Nadu Category:Women artists from Tamil Nadu Category:21st-century Indian women artists Category:21st-century Indian dancers Category:Best Choreography National Film Award winners