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Shri.K.R.Venugopal Sharma
Creative Genius and artist Shri.K.R.Venugopal Sharma [[File:K.R. Venugopal sharma.jpg|thumb| K.R. Venugopal sharma

17th December 1908 – 31st August 1989 ]] Shri.K.R Venugopal Sharma lived from 17th December 1908 – 31st August 1989 and was an acclaimed genius artist of India.

Shri. Venugopal Sharma who lived up to the right age of 84, created 14 outstanding art works out of which only 3 are known to the world and those 3 are decorating the walls of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu. All his artworks were done with an egalitarian spirit of selflessness, for social cause to provide a legacy to the people of posterity.

The work that Shri K.R Venugopal Sharma did to portray sage Thiruvalluvar who lived 2000 years ago is one of the most outstanding works which has reached to every nook and corner of Tamil speaking world and all over this globe. The life and truth that is inherent in all his works blow the conch of impeccable perfection of creativity of Indian art.

Early Life:

On 17th December 1908 Shri.Venugopal Sharma was born to a great Tamil expert who had thorough and complete knowledge of Kamba Ramayanam. Shri.Ramaswamy Iyer of Kamakshi Patti, Salem Jilla and Janaki Ammal in a small village was born Shri. Venugopal Sharma. Historically well known Vijaynagra Samrajiya had the world acclaimed intelligent poet and a wise man known as Tennaliraman of the Nyogi kula. Shri Ramaswamy Iyer belonged to the tradition of Shri. Tennaliraman.

Shri. Venugopal Sharma lost his father in a very young age and was cared for and raised by his loving mother but was affected by Pneumonia fever at a very young age and was deeply affected by it.

Shri. Venkata Subramnya Bharathi was Shri. Venugopal Sharma’s father’s elder brother (Periyappa). He was a great poet educationist himself and was awarded with Bharathi award by entire pura samasthanam and Shri. Venugopal Sharma was given formal education in music (tamil) and in tamil based Nadu Eazhuthu Alangaram and Venba and he also became a distinguished specialist in Tamil Kanathurai through his own self effort he also became a well known mimic.

Seeing his unique qualities his father’s elder brother took him to Dhashara Sadas ,the annual Dhashara celebration that happens in Mysore and there he was provided with a beautiful opportunity to participate in the Dhashara Sadas. Seeing the brilliant skills and abilities of Shri. Venugopal Sharma, the king of Mysore Samastanam Nalvadi Krishnaraja Udayar awarded a child prodigy award Bala Vikata Kavi to Shri. Venugopal Sharma.

In a similar way, Shri. Venugopal Sharma also was awarded by the Gadhyeaval Samasthanam. Along with his father’s elder brother Shri. Venugopal Sharma travelled to several parts of India and therefore developed knowledge and skill in several languages including English and 10 other Indian Languages.

The first painting that Shri. Venugopal Sharma did was of Shri. Swayam Prakasha Bramendra Saraswathi Swamy who was a Siddha from Sennamangalam. After receiving his blessings the first portrait that Shri. Venugopal Sharma drew was that of Swamiji at the age of 17. When Mahatma Gandhi happened to visit Salem Jilla at the age of 17 Shri. Venugopal Sharma  got the opportunity to do a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi which he gave as his gift to him and on the same day Mahatma Gandhi auctioned his picture for a cost of Rs.25 and the amount generated in that auction was given as a gift to the Quetta Earthquake and for the welfare of Harijans of that region.

With the blessings and instigation and guidance of Chakravarthi Shri. Rajagopala Acharaya, Shri. Venugopal Sharma started Sarvadesa Drama party and staged dramas with a nationalistic fervour. The British police tried to arrest Shri. Venugopal Sharma and on the behest of his friends he escaped and lived a life incognito in Bombay.

During the incognito life in Bombay he aligned himself with the genius of the film industry Shri.Bhagavan Das and he learned the art of film making, story writing, editing, acting, music and many such talents that he had became very useful when he returned to Salem after India got its independence.

On his return to Salem he started Chithrakala Studios but since he couldn’t sustain it then he moved on to Chennai and started Green Pictures a production Company and Nadhavijayam, Deivigam, My Son were all dramas that he had produced.

Madurai Mariappa Swamigal, Balamurali Krishna and Natraj Sakuntala were introduced to the film industry by Shri. Venugopal Sharma.

Shri. Venugopal Sharma’s contribution in the famous drum dance that happened as a part of Chandralekha, the historical Tamil film produced by S.S Vasan was worthy of mansion. His contribution was recognised.

Many of his efforts to produce movies went up to the brim of being produced but were never successful. They got relinquished for some reason or the other. Therefore all the wealth that he had earned during his early years at different Samsthanas from several kingdoms were all spent and lost.

Though Shri. Venugopal Sharma was involved in different types of genres and initiatives his intention to create a portrait befitting the greatness of sage Thiruvalluvar was continuing throughout. Even after several attempts since Shri. Venugopal Sharma was dissatisfied with the work he had done.

The uncompromising zeal in him to create a befitting an outstanding historical portrayal of sage Thiruvalluvar was still fertile in his heart as a unconceivable desire.

Knowing this, his friend and the well known political leader and the chief minister of Tamil Nadu Shri. CN Anna Durai through several friends of Shri. Venugopal Sharma like Tamilvanan, Barathi Dasan kept reiterating the importance of completing the work he had started on Thiruvalluvar.

And taking to the advice of his close friends and aids finally Shri. Venugopal Sharma let go of his efforts and interest in film industry and started his intense  effort which culminated in 1959 in the creation of a beautiful form of sage Thiruvalluvar.

Thirukkural authored by sage Thiruvalluvar is only the third book which has been translated in the maximum number of languages in the world history. Thirukkural has been translated in Indian languages such as Gujarathi, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kanadam, Konkani, ,Marathi, Manipuri, Oriya, Panjabi, Rajasthani, Samaskrudham,Sowrashtra and Telugu. Still it is also been translated into International languages such as Arabian, Chinese, Fujian, Indonesian  Languages, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Sinhalese,  and Urudhu. It is also been translated into World languages such as English, Czechoslovakian, dutch, Spanish, French, Germen, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Swedish and other European languages too. A manuscript a creation of sage Thiruvalluvar which has been recognized accepted and celebrated as one of the greatest creation of  the poetic genius did not have the form of the author. Nobody really knew how Sage Thiruvalluvar looked like.

The writings of sage Thiruvalluvar transcend the limitation of all types of sacrileism  including religion caste and even continental differences. Therefore the form that was portrayed for sage Thiruvalluvar demanded that it should be acceptable for the people who were inspired by the wisdom and did not want it to be particular sects or class and Shri. Venugopal sarma was very successful in portraying  sage Thiruvalluvar form based on several years of research in art form that was available. He was able to the produce the most befitting form for sage Thiruvalluvar.

Usually art forms  in somewhere or the other have are depict the flavour of the land and its natural marks in their works. For a sample in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso ,Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo all the paintings have an unconscious underlined flavour of the lands and the cultures from which they came.

But the form which Shri Venugopal sarma portrayed and created for sage Thiruvalluvar does not represent any ethnic underlined marks in it. When you see the image you are unable to say whether sage Thiruvalluvar was  an American or a European or a Greek or a Mongolian or Italian or a Chinese  any such hints or marks are not there in the beautiful form that  Shri.Venugopal Sharma created for sage Thiruvalluvar.

In fact the form that Shri Venugopal Sharma  has provided has created from his ability to visualize the genius that he was has been accepted and his work has been celebrated by the Tamils all over the world. All the honours that were done to this historical portrayal of sage Thiruvalluvar in the year 1959 by global leaders of art and culture are available in audio form and are preserved by his family members till today.

Greatest Tamil poets of modern times like Pavendhar Bharathidasan and many others have agreed that this is how Sage Thiruvalluvar should have look like. Experts from several fields who have not seen Sage Thiruvalluvar because he belongs to 2000 years before. Feel as if they are sseng Thiruvalluvar while seeing the portraitdone by Shri. Venugopal Sharma

Shri Bhakthavathsalam the former chief minister from congress party appreciated the work of shri. K.R.Venugopal Sarma in the legislative assembly of Tamilnadu and a resolution passed that the portrait that Shri. Venugopal sarma created would be use as the official portrait of sage Thiruvaluvar by the government of Tamil Nadu and the house passed an unanimous resolution to  this effect. The Indian postal department has released a stamp using this portrait.

And then during the regime of DMK in the month of June 1967 on the 23rd ,the government ordered GOMS 1193 was issued by the then chief minister Shri. CN Annadurai which felicitated and demanded the display of the portrait of sage Thiruvaluvar produced by Shri.Venugopal sarma to be displayed in all the government offices – busses – universities – colleges – schools - panchayath offices – courts – police stations and in all such places the portrait that was created by Shri Venugopal Sarma is displayed as the official image as per this government order.

The government order by the then Chief minister Arignar Anna made the portrait of sage Thiruvalluvar transcend time and established it as a permanent asset of the Tamil world. Through this the picture became an all pervading symbol of Tamil culture in which sage Thiruvalluvar is an epitome. Such an aqqualad has not been awarded or such a position has not been obtained by any artwork in any other part of the world.

Shri. Venugopal Sharma also published a hand book to describe why he developed a picture portraying sage Thiruvalluvar and he called it “Thiruvsalluvar Thiruuruva Pada Villakam” (explanation of portrait of sage Thiruvalluvar).

We can also say that the hand book was like a white paper that was published. No other artist the history of art has ever published a white paper on an art work and this was recognised by the University of Madras in the year 2012 and they published the hand book. Not only that, they also unveiled a picture of genius artist Shri. Venugopal Sharma in the University of Madras.

Being devote to the cause of giving a portrayal and a live form to sage Thiruvalluvar until he completed the project of creating a portrait Shri. Venugopal Sharma never thought of marriage and in 1965, at the age of 58 he met Shrimathi. Mallika  a renowned carnatic Singer at Srirangam, Tamil Nadu.

According to the system followed in Thirukurral, the wedding of both of them happened in 1965 and the couple had 7 children through their married life. In 1982 this genius artist was affected by paralytic attack and his wife did not have the ability to accept this refused to have food and passed away because of Anaemia in the year 1983 having lost the wife Shri. Venugopal Sharma was despondent and in the year 1989 July 31st he dropped of his body and left this world.

On 31st July 1989 genius artist Shri. Venugopal Sharma left his mortal coil and entered the aboard of a divine creator.

A very close friend well wished and confidant of Shri. Venugopal Sharma, the most respected Dr. Kalingar Karunananidhi who was a Tamil leader par excellence in the world was the chief minister at that time and he dedicated the portrait by Shri. Venugopal Sharma to the country and the portrait became national asset.

Until today in Tamil speaking world and in the organisation all over the world were Tamil is respected the logos of organisations till today carry the portrait that Shri. Venugopal Sharma created for sage Thiruvalluvar which has made this piece of art most unique and has become an eternal reality that would remain transcending the time and space and be respected adored forever in posterity.

On the occasion of dedicating the portrait of Sage Thiruvalluvar as a national asset, Kalaignar Karunanidhi expressed his deepest appreciation to Shri. Venugopal Sharma by saying the words Thirukuraal, Thiruvalluvar and Shri. Venugopal Sharma all the 3 have become 1 and as long as this world exists these cannot be destroyed as they have become eternal.

Shri. Venugopal Sharma created many other outstanding paintings and portraits. three out of them are today decorating the walls of the Legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu and they are Sage Thiruvalluvar, Pasumpul  Muthuramalingam Thevar and the well known  nationalist poetical leader from Tamil Nadu Quaid e Millath.

The remaining images artworks that were produced by Shri. Venugopal Sharma are the following Bhuveneshwari, Tamil Thai, Maha Ganapathi, Shri Krishna, Lord Muruga on the golden peacock, Kamashi ,Meenakshi, Sage Thyagaraja who is celebrated as the god of music,  the child of Diwali , Dhamayanthi and Bharatha Shakuntala.

Shri. Venugopal Sharma in the world forestage Bharatanatyam interestingly Shri. Venugopal Sharma had learned Bharatanatyam with its deepest understanding and had mastered it to perform it flawlessly.

He had done several researches in that art form. He was a friend of Kancheepuram Ellapa Natwar and Shri. Venugopal Sharma was also a guru of the venerated Udipi Lakshmi Narayana Sharma. He also composed and authored many Sahisthyas for him and taught it to Udipi Shri Lakshmi Narayana Sharma.

Those Sahithyams which were created for Udipi Lakshimi Narayana Acharaya was staged by his disciple the world famous Tamil cinema dance choreographer Prabhu Deva.

Prabhu Deva  staged it for the first time and until today Shrimathi Madhumathi Prakash, a renowned guru and teacher of Bharatanatyam performs these Sahithyas, these compositions of Shri. Venugopal Sharma on stage. Aadum Mayil Meedhu ,Varum Yadhava Bala, Vanodum Megham, Aanandha Muga Vilasam are some of the songs that were choreographed by Shri. Venugopal Sharma which are being staged till date.

The following are the Dance Dramas that were created by the great Shri. Venugopal Sharma Shilpi en Kanavar, Krishna Leela ,Sandhya thandavam, Rathi Manmadhan, Dharma Moorthi , Raagu Chandra, this dance drama is particularly unique portraying a fight between a peacock and a dragon representing the war that happened between India and China. every humans life is surrounded by good and bad. However Shri. Venugopal Sharma like a swan had the quality of holding only positivity in his entire life he had not spoke any ill meaning words to anyone.

The personal dairies written by Shri. Venugopal Sharma is preserved till date by his family and you’ll not be able to find a single complaint throughout his journals. Instead he always find that he has observed some unique quality in every person he had met in life and has only mentioned them and pent them.

By observing the journals of Shri. Venugopal Sharma one comes to the understanding that he lived more of a internal life, a life which was independent of how externals environments were, a life about that was self reliant with a big YES and this is probably why Shri. Venugopal Sharma was able to provide the most apt form, the form that everyone believes today to be the form of sage Thiruvalluvar was created by him which stands testimony to the inner vision that he had in his internally fulfilled life.