Mani Madhava Chakyar

““Has the Centre ever considered the merits of a phenomenal Kudiyattam exponent like Mani Madhav Chakkiyar - true genius?” - Leela Venkatraman- art critic, The Hindu, 1998Leela Venkatraman, An index of merit?, "The Hindu", December 27, 1998”

““..I felt angry when I learnt that a great artist like Mani Madhava Chakyar was awarded a mere Padma Shri. A man of his artistic genius and erudition deserved to be decorated with the highest state honour (Bharat Ratna)” - RKG (Editor, The Illustrated Weekly, Columnist for Times of India), 2000RKG, India : A Nation in Turmoil, Vedam Books, New Delhi (2000), {{ISBN|81-7476-268-X}}, p. 256”

““Scholars of Paderevski Foundation who were fortunate enough to have witnessed the fragments of Swapnavāsavadattam as performed by your splendid actors, were unanimous in their praise of the high cultural and aesthetic level of the Koodiyattam. It was a most enjoyable experience and the Paderevski Founadtion is proud to have co-sponsored the appearances of the Theatre in Northern India” - Paderewski Foundation (New York) Certificate (New Delhi, 1964) - First International recognition for Kutiyattam and the maestro.”

“"To Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar, Kutiyattam was more than art, it was life itself" - Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work (film) - Kavalam N. Panickar, 1994Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work, K.N. Panikar, Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi, 1994”

““His historic talent was backed up by extraordinary erudition. Behind his wizardry with the eyes lay sustained practice undertaken with devotion and discipline” - L.S Rajagopalan (noted art critic), 1990L.S Rajagopalan, Mani Madhava Chakyar- A Titan of A Thespian, Sruti- India's premier Music and Dance magazine, August 1990 issue (71).”

““Mani Madhava Chakyar was performing sikhinisalabha... Butterflies fly all around. Some of them fell into the fire below. The anguish was reflected in the actor’s eyes. Ha! There they come out without a burn! What a relief! They came again. The actor continued the performance. Only his eyes move… The audience was spellbound. They did not know that an hour has passed!” - About his world famous abhinaya of the shloka shikhinisalabha from Subhadradhananjayam.Indigenous Sanskrit theatre form, The Hindu, Tuesday, Jul 31, 2007”

““His eyes were the unrivaled wonder of Abhinaya” - P.T. Narendra Menon (connoisseur of art), 1990P.T. Narendra Menon, Kulapati of Koodiyattam, Sruti- India's premier Music and Dance magazine, August 1990 issue (71).”

““With a few movements of the eye, he could manifest the mountains, the ocean, the rivers, the moonlit valleys, torrential rain, the gait of the swan and the elephant, a tornado, the opening of the lotus flowers and a lot else. To see him do it was to know that he was a non-pareil” - P.T. Narendra Menon (noted art critic and poet), 1990P.T. Narendra Menon, Kulapati of Koodiyattam, Sruti- India's premier Music and Dance magazine, August 1990 issue (71).”

““Eyes, what an eloquent pair he has! He is able to express with them even the slightest difference in the mood” - L.S Rajagopalan (noted art critic), 1990L.S Rajagopalan, Mani Madhava Chakyar- A Titan of A Thespian, Sruti- India's premier Music and Dance magazine, August 1990 issue (71), p. 17.”

“"Mani Madhava Chakyar's forte was Satwikabhinaya. Endowed with expressive eyes; that can speak a thousand moods and a countenance that can reflect the range of human emotions in its entirety, Mani Madhava Chakkiar was the master at work" - Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work (film), 1994Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work, K.N. Panikar, Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi, 1994”

““his Netraabhinaya is simply incomparable" - Kapila Vatsyayan (leading scholar of classical Indian dance), 1990Kapila Vatsyayan, Gurupuja, Mathrubhumi weekly, February (11-17) 1990, p. 7.”

““No one is like the Emperor of Abhinaya- Mani Madhava Chakyar, and there won't be any” - Prof. Maria Christopher Byrski (first foreigner disciple of Guru and Kutiyattam), Department of Indology, Warsaw University, 1987Akavur Narayanan, Shatam Jiva Sharadah, Mathrubhumi weekly, March (15-21) 1987, p. 20.”

““the greatest eye-wizard of the world!” - Stella Kramrisch - Curator of Indian Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA, c1980p. 299, Das Bhargavinilayam, Mani Madhaveeyam(biography of Mani Madhava Chakyar), Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, 1999, {{ISBN|81-86365-78-8}}”

““He had his own style. He could convey his thoughts through expressions. His eye movement was superb!” Birju Maharaj- great Kathak dancer, selecting him as one of the ten finest dancers he has known, 2000Birju Maharaj- the Kathak maestro on the ten finest dancers he has known, rediff.com: The Millennium Special”

““Mani Madhava Chakyar was the personification of all the greatness of this rich Indian classical art tradition” - Kapila Vatsyayan (leading scholar of classical Indian dance), 1990Kapila Vatsyayan, Gurupuja, Mathrubhumi weekly, February (11-17) 1990, p. 7.”

““When i say Abhinaya, oh, I can't do the abhinaya like what the great man did here yesterday” - Great Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati next day after Chakyar's lecture-demonstration at Madras Music Academy in 1973.Sruti- India's premier Music and Dance magazine, August 1990 issue (71), p. 17.”

““Mani Madhava Chakyar when he portrayed Arjuna on the first evening and Ravana on the second, showed himself a master of the expression of the eye” - Dr. V Raghavan, renowned scholar of Sanskrit dramaturgy, classical Indian dance and music, connoisseur of art and former director of Samskritaranga- Chennai, 1962.p. 21 Natya, Bharatiya Natya Sangh, 1962.”

“"My own people condemned my action (performing Koothu and Kutiyattam outside the precincts of the temples), Once, after I had given performances at Vaikkom, they even thought about excommunicating me. I desired that this art should survive the test of time. That was precisely why I ventured outside the temple" - Guru about the difficulties he had faced from hardliners when he tok Koothu and Kutiyattam outside the temples and performing it for common man.Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work, K.N. Panikar, Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi, 1994”

““At least Bharatanatyam is now world famous, with thousands of new votaries. What about Koodiyattam?.....I have done what I can. It has not been easy. One has to sacrifice a lot to learn Koodiyattam. How many persons will be ready for it these days? Will there be an audience capable of imbibing it? ” -Shri. Māni Mādhava Chākyār to famous Bharatanatyam dancer Rukmini Dev Arundale, while latter visitited Guru at his residenceP.T. Narendra Menon, Kulapati of Koodiyattam, Sruti- India's premier Music and Dance magazine, August 1990 issue (71), p. 27.”