Guru Railway M. Sundaram
Founder & Principal,
SRIDEVI NATYA KALA MANDALI,
Perambur, Chennai
Guru M. Sundaram, also known as Railway Sundaram was one of the prime disciples of Guru Mangudi Dorairaja Iyer, who is the founder of the Melattur style in Bharathanatyam. Sri M. Sundaram was instrumental in teaching Bharathanatyam to children from middle class families located in North Chennai through his dance school, SRIDEVI NATYA KALA MANDALI which was located in Gurumoorthy Ayya Garden Street, Perambur.
He was a dedicated teacher who trained many students in Bharathanatyam and semi-classical dances in his locality and neighbourhood during the 70’s and 80’s. He died on May 30, 1988.
Guru Sundaram was the first Guru of Sheela Unnikrishnan who sowed the seed of dance in her in 1981. He has done the Arangetram of Sheela along with her 2 sisters on February 7, 1982 at Kambar Arangam, ICF, Chennai. He had named the dancing trio siblings as 'Villivakkam Sisters' and made them perform in and around Chennai. It was in dedication to him and his dance school ‘Sridevi Natya Kala Mandali’ that Smt. Sheela Unnikrishnan has named her dance school as ‘SRIDEVI NRITHYALAYA’.