Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan Biography 
Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan– the real life couple is widely regarded as one of the leading dancing couples of south Indian art forms. Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan is shortly called V P Dhananjayan, a native of Payyanur, Kannur District, Kerala while his wife Shanta Dhananjayan was born to a Malayali couple in Malaysia. Dhananjayan is also a prolific writer who writes on social and political issues and apart from books related to dance. The couple known by the title – Dhananjayans is a recipient of several awards and recognitions including Padma Bhushan by Government of India in 2009, Kalaimamani Award by Tamil Nadu Government in 1990, "Nrityavillas" Award by Haridas Sangeet Sammelan Sursingar Sansad Mumbai in 1984 and many other honours. They started their own dance school Bharata Kalanjali in 1968 in Adyar, Chennai.
V.P Dhananjayan was born in Payyanur on 17 April 1939 into a middle class family with 7 siblings. He had a struggling childhood. Once, his father happened to meet Kathakali maestro, Chandu Panicker of Kalakshetra which prompted him to send young Dhananjayan to Kalakshetra, to study Kathakali under the tutelage of Chandu Panicker. Thus he reached Kalakshetra (established by Rukmini Devi) in the year 1953 and performed as a lead dancer of her troupe during the period - 1955–1967. He met his future wife Shanta Dhananjayan at Kalakshetra, and she was active in the troupe from 1955–1968. He trained in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali and took a PG diploma. The couple got married at Guruvayur temple in 1966 and had two children. Their younger son, Satyajit is an accomplished automobile photographer and dancer, settled in Chennai.
After leaving Kalakshetra in the late 1960s, the couple started their own dance school Bharata Kalanjali in 1968 in Adyar, and very soon earned success and fame as dancing couple. They also taught numerous children. The couple has established an academy of arts at Payyanur, Dhananjayan’s home town. There love story is nothing short of a film story. For Dhananjayan, it was love at first sight as she was the first girl he met at Kalashetra. But Shanta was a dedicated student then, fully concentrated in her studies. Yet she started secretly loving him at the age of 12 and decided to make him her life partner. Dhananjayan proposed Shanta when she was 18. But she left Malaysia for higher studies and let him know her mind only 4 years later when she returned.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 20, 2016
