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 Dance, Kutty, dance
 Meet Philip Breet Mankoshy, better known as Kutty, the one-legged dancer, to all of us. After featuring in the Tamil film 'Dancer' and winning national and state awards for his first film as hero, Kutty has been flooded with offers from all over the world to perform in dance
programmes.
A short interview with him is enough to have your adrenaline pumping as he is packed with energy and has enough confidence to give 10 others.
Confidence: This is the outstanding quality of Kutty. He met with an accident when he was 14 years old - a schoolkid. The motorbike accident occurred in 1998 on the Kumbakonam bypass road after Kutty had dropped off his friend's child in school.
To understand the seriousness of the accident, this is what he says: "I went and said 'Hi' to Yama and came back." After struggling to cure him for four months, in the end the hospital had to amputate his right leg to save his life.
Though his future seemed bleak, it was the chief doctor of Tanjore Medical Hospital, Radhakrishnan, who infused confidence in him. He said many people achieve something in life and it was still possible for him to achieve something. This sank into the impressionable Kutty who decided to make something of his life.
 He had been dancing as a child artiste in many movies like 'Mausum', 'Anjali', and films in almost all languages. He had dreamt of one day dancing in a troupe behind a hero. "But my life changed dramatically after the accident. There came a time when there would be poeple dancing behind me as I had been selected as the hero of a film," says Kutty with a sense of pride.
Pride: He has reasons to be proud. Most people would have lost interest in life with the loss of a limb. But Kutty only felt more alive without his right leg. The lanky youth continued to dance his favourite dances even though he had lost a leg. His family did not know about it on the first two occasions he went out to dance after losing his leg. But on Vinayaka Chathurthi day in 2001 his friends forced him to dance on stage in his street. The audience were so taken up with is dance that they put a garland of Rs 500 notes on him and praised his talent. After that he plunged into dance and dance programmes. He has so far given 5884 programmes, he recalls.
Kutty, who knows classical, western, folk, ballet and jazz dances, continued with his dancing shows and has so far given 5, 884 shows. It was at the 2883 show - the 1,000th show of Premnath's Natyalaya which has encouraged him through the years and given him ample opportunities - in Kamarajar Arangam, Chennai, that producer-director KR saw him.
KR was so taken up with the dance of the young man that he asked him on the stage itself if he would act in his film. Kutty agreed at once. KR then made the announcement on stage: "Oru Kaal Naan Padam Eduthal, Intha Oru Kaal Illatha Kuttyai Vaithuthan Eduppen," (If I decide to take a film, it will be with Kutty as hero), he is supposed to have said.
"I was thrilled when KR sir gave me Rs 5,000 as advance for the film. It was at the South Indian Film Chamber and I danced my way near Gemini with everybody looking at me puzzled," says an ever-grateful
Kutty.
He became the hero of 'Dancer' - which he calls God's gift in life - and got rave reviews though the movie was not a big hit in Tamil Nadu. He blames the tsunami for this and also the fact that people did not believe that he actually danced on one leg. There was no dupe or body double for any of the stunts also "because you cannot have a double for me," grins
Kutty.
All this paid off and Kutty won the National Award for best dancer for the film. He also won the state's special award for best actor. He was also honoured by the Delhi Tamil Sangam at a show in the Capital with a title that proclaimed him as India's best dancer. To have got all this credit for his first film itself made Kutty immensely happy and proud.
Fetna, a Tamil organisation in the US, also invited him to New York and awarded him the best dancer award.
 Energy: The first thing anybody would notice about Kutty is that he is full of energy. It might have something to do with this age. But he exudes a natural kind of energy that it is infectious - like his confidence. Once he was signed up for 'Dancer', he had to undergo training under fight choreographer Super Subbarayan. He was also trained in swimming and other aspects of acting. There was no need to train him in dancing, though.
The picturisation of the film took a year and he was able to sail through it with his abundant energy. He remembers all the fight scenes and the hand-stand he learnt from
Subbarayan.
He says he can never forget the climax dance of the movie where he is supposed to compete with dance master Robert. It was exceedingly tough but it turned out to be a good climax, says
Kutty.
Apart from being a good dancer, Kutty is also a good singer. He sings at all his dance programmes. He is a good athlete who plays cricket, football and shuttle cock. He is great with bikes which he started riding from age 11. He is a bike racer and a great swimmer.
He has been getting more dance programme offers after 'Dancer'. He has toured the US, Malaysia, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Dubai and Canada.
"We are hoping to be invited to Australia for a performance there," adds his programme coordinator and PRO
Saravanan.
Anger: If there is one thing Kutty is angry about, it is not his fate but that Tamil fans did not give him the recognition that he thought he deserved. He is more angry than sad that 'Dancer' failed as a commercial film. It was a lifetime chance for him and he somehow blames the Tamil fans for not rising up to his expectations.
He is happy that the Malayalam film that came later, 'By the People', where he acted as hero, was a success.
Since he is angry with the Tamil fans, he does not want to give dance performances in Tamil Nadu. He would rather accept programmes abroad.
He has also set his mind against doing Tamil films hereafter for the same reason. He is now getting ready to act in a Telugu film as villain. The hero is Chiranjeevi and the film is being produced by ace choreographer Rajasekhar Master.
This time he would be acting with two legs as he is getting an artificial leg fitted. He is also trying to "cover his bones" by building more muscle.
Courage: The 1998 accident has left a deep impact on his life, but it has not damapened his spirit or made him lose courage. He did all the stunt scenes for 'Dancer'. One of them involved going under a lorry on a bike and he did it without the help of rope or dupe.
"I hope my film career will give confidence and hope to the many handicapped in our society. I want this to be a lesson to them in courage. According to me, everybody is handicapped in this world. Some might be handicapped mentally, but I am handicapped physically. That is the only difference. I want to tell everybody through my dance - Mudivedu, Muyarchi Sey, Munneru (decide upon something, try your best and march ahead)," says
Kutty.
 A year ago, he started a dance troupe called Kingstar Dance Group. It has 20 boys and 20 girls and has so far done about 85 shows.
Hope: There is no need to add that his favourite dancer is Michael Jackson. But there is a need to mention that he hopes to create a Guinness record in dancing sometime in future. "Others who tried to achieve the Guinness record might have failed. But I will succeed," asserts Kutty.
"Poranthathukku Oru Marathayavathu Nattuttu Ponu Solluvanga. Oru Marathai Alla, Oru Malayai Nattuvittu Poga Enakku Asai," says Kutty, adjusting his cap stylishly and dramatically.
In this effort he has the support of his family: father Stephen Jayapaul who plays the violin and keyboard for films, his housewife mother and his four older brothers. But the one he leans on is producer-director KR, like he leans on his crutch.
Given the bundle of feelings that he is, it is not difficult to imagine Kutty reaching the goals he sets for himself. Not in the distant past but in the near future.
Would you like to contact Kutty? Here's his address:
J Kutty,
No 1, Kaveri Rangan Street,
Dasarathapuram,
Chennai - 600 093.
Phone: 98402 05107
R Chitra
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