Brinda Master

Brinda Master
Born
Brinda Gopal

Occupations
  • Choreographer
  • director
Years active1987–present
Relatives

Brinda Gopal, known professionally as Brinda Master, is an Indian dance choreographer and director[1] who primarily works in South Indian cinema. She has choreographed dance sequences for various Indian films. She has won one National Film Award for Best Choreography,[2] Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer, twice and Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography, four times.[3]

Early life

Brinda Gopal was born into a family of seven girls to Mani Iyer, a caterer, and a homemaker in Erode.[4] An elder sister Jayanthi, first started dancing and acted as heroine in two films – Uthiripookkal and Poottatha Pookkal. Brindha's second sister Girija, learned Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra; and went to work with choreographers Thangam and later Raghuram Master, whom she married later, and also become an independent choreographer. Kala, a leading choreographer, is her elder sister.[5][6]

One of her nephews, Prasanna Sujit, is also a film choreographer. One of her niece Gayathri Raghuram, daughter of late Raghuram Master and her sister Girija is also a choreographer and an actress. She has also introduced her another niece Keerthi, daughter of Jayanthi Master and wife of actor Shanthanu Baghyaraj, as an anchor in her dance reality show Maanada Mayilada.[7]

Career

Through the Bollywood film Insaf Ki Pukar she started her career as an assistant choreographer in 1987.She became independent choreographer with the 2000 Tamil film Mugavaree which features Ajith Kumar and Jyothika in lead roles. She was awarded the 'Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer by the state government at Tamil Nadu State Film Awards in 2000 for her work for that film.

Selected filmography

Key
Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
As choreographer
Years Title Language Notes Ref.
1987 Insaf Ki Pukar Hindi Assistant choreographer
1988 Aakhari Poratam Telugu
Janaki Ramudu
1989 Prem Pratigyaa Hindi
1991 Phool Aur Kaante
1993 Jaagruti
1997 Arunachalam Tamil
1997 Preminchukundam Raa Telugu
1998 Daya Malayalam
1999 Naanu Nanna Hendthiru Kannada [8]
Minsara Kanna Tamil
2000 Mugavaree
2003 Kaakha Kaakha
2004 Madurey
2005 Chandramukhi
Udayananu Tharam Malayalam
2006 Aathi Tamil
Sillunu Oru Kaadhal
2007 Deepavali
Sivaji: The Boss
Azhagiya Tamil Magan
Vinodayathra Malayalam
2008 Calcutta News
Dasavathaaram Tamil
Vaaranam Aayiram
2011 Engeyum Kadhal
Velayudham
2013 Kadal
Thalaivaa
Bullett Raja Hindi
2014 Maan Karate Tamil
PK Hindi
2015 Kaaki Sattai Tamil
2016 Rajinimurugan
Remo
2017 Kaatru Veliyidai
2018 Kaala
Sarkar
2019 Nerkonda Paarvai
2020 Darbar
2021 Sulthan
Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea Malayalam
Annaatthe Tamil
2022 Don
Ponniyin Selvan: I
2023 Ponniyin Selvan: II
2025 Thug Life Co-choreographer [9]
2026 Nari Nari Naduma Murari Telugu
As Actress
Year Title Role
1994 Nammavar Nirmala
As director
Year Title Notes
2022 Hey Sinamika Also choreographer
2023 Thugs
Music Video
Years Songs Works Notes
2022 "Gandhari" Director & Choreographer Music Video

Awards and honours

Year Award category Winner Ref.
1997 Filmfare Award for Best Choreography – South Preminchukundam Raa [10]
1998 National Film Award for Best Choreography Daya [2]
2000 Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer Mugavaree [11]
2003 Filmfare Award for Best Choreography – South Kaakha Kaakha [12]
2005 Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography Udayananu Tharam
2007 Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer Deepavali [3]
Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography Vinodayathra
2008 Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography Calcutta News
2017 Vijay Award for Best Choreographer Kaatru Veliyidai
2021 Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham [13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "'Thugs' first look promises a raw and violent film from Brinda Gopal". The Times of India. 7 September 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "46th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  3. ^ a b "amilnadu State Awards 2007 & 2008". Dinakaran. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
  4. ^ [1][dead link]
  5. ^ Ethiraj, Gopal. (21 September 2009) Sunday celebrity:Kala Master: she is 'sagala Kala vallavi' Archived 3 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Asian Tribune. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
  6. ^ Tamil movies : Dancing sisters' war dance against Sneha Archived 6 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Behindwoods.com (7 July 2006). Retrieved 2013-11-30.
  7. ^ Metro Plus Kochi / People : She makes them dance to her tunes. The Hindu (27 October 2008). Retrieved 2013-11-30.
  8. ^ "Naanu Nanna Hendtheeru". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020 – via csc.archive.org.
  9. ^ "Trisha Krishnan Preps For A Dance Sequence In Mani Ratnam's Thug Life, Calls It 'Gruelling'". Times Now. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Filmfare - South Special". filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 1999. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Tamil Nadu announces film awards for three years". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2004. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  12. ^ "Pithamagan sweeps FilmFare Awards – Tamil Movie News". IndiaGlitz. 5 June 2004. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  13. ^ "50th Kerala State Film Awards: Winners list". The Indian Express. 13 October 2020. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.