On My Pinboard

Classical dancer Sathyanarayana Raju has been performing for over 30 years. A sought-after male bharathanatyam dancer and choreographer, he has trained under Sangeet Natak Academy awardee Guru Narmada, of Shakuntala Nrityalaya, and Guru Subhadra Prabhu, in the Pandanallur style of bharathanatyam. He has been trained in kathak too, under Dr Maya Rao and Chitra Venugopal.

Sathyanarayana is an ‘A’ grade artiste with Doordarshan, and has appeared in the song ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ along with Bhimsen Joshi and other renowned artistes.

He has performed all over India as well as in the UK, USA, Canada, Switzerland, France, Maldives and Singapore. He has also conducted several dance workshops in India and abroad and has organised numerous national dance festivals.

He has won critical acclaim and numerous accolades such as Karnataka Kalashri by Karnataka Sangeetha Nruthya, Narthaka award by Natyanjali trust in Chennai and Doordarshan Chandana Award, among others.

Actor
Dr Rajkumar

“I love watching films and going to the cinema halls. My favourite actor will always be Dr Rajkumar. He was a versatile actor and there was a lot of depth in his acting. He has inspired me as a dancer too, as his mastery of ‘abhinaya’ (expressions) is unparalleled. Even today, I watch his films on YouTube and other online platforms. I also have a collection of most of his movies.”

Travel
Geneva

“I’ve travelled extensively across the globe as a performing artiste. My favourite place to visit is Geneva, Switzerland, where a good friend of mine, dancer Sujatha Venkatesh, stays. It is a beautiful and calm city, and is not too crowded.”

Musician
Ilaiyaraaja

“Ilaiyaraaja is an all-time favourite when it comes to music. He is one of the greatest musicians of all time and there is a lot of depth in his work. I forget everything around me when I am listening to his renditions. I also like Rajan-Nagendra’s style. In Carnatic classical music, I like listening to Dr M Balamuralikrishna. Right now, I am listening to and enjoying the music of Bombay Jayashri.”

Inspiration
My mother

“My mother, Maniamma, has inspired me in many ways. She always spoke about values in life and what one should and shouldn’t do. She would always find time to converse with me and remind me to ‘dream big and think positive.’ My Guru, Smt Narmada, has also inspired me in many ways, through teaching and talking about dance to me. I will always cherish the time I had with her.”

Food
Pizza

“I love food and Italian food is one of my favourite cuisines, especially pizza and pasta. It may surprise some to know that I had never tasted this food before visiting Switzerland, where my friend Sujatha made some wonderful pasta and pizza for me. After that, I fell in love with it. However, my all-time favourite cuisine remains south Indian food.”