Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair (25 May 1925 – 11 March 2013) was a performer of Kathakali, who practiced the

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

art form for more than seven decades.

Biography

His guru was Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, his only teacher in his entire career. Both hail from Vellinezhi, which is still known for producing many Kathakali artistes, in

Palakkad Palakkad (), Renaming of cities in India, also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city and a municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of P ...

district. Ramankutty Nair had served in his alma mater, Kerala Kalamandalam, and went on to become its principal. Born in 1925, Ramankutty Nair hailed from a family with no Kathakali pedigree. But Ravunni Menon, a resident tutor at the renowned Olappamanna Mana (a mansion of the upper-caste Nambudiris) was an overarching presence in the cultural scene of the village, and soon little Ramankutty too fell under his spell. At Kerala Kalamandalam, where he subsequently mastered the art, Ramankutty Nair later sculpted out several disciples, the most prominent among them being Kalamandalam Gopi besides Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, M.P.S. Namboodiri, Balasubramanian and the late K. Gopalakrishnan. Many of the younger generation Kathakali artistes from Kalamandalam, like Soman and Shanmughan, too have had Ramankutty Nair as their guru for advanced training. (He retired as principal of Kalamandalam in 1985). In his later years, Ramankutty Nair was the chairman of Gandhi Seva Sadan, or Sadanam Kathakali Akademi as it is better known. Active as an artiste till the age of 85, he performed across Kerala, and graced stages in the rest of India and several countries of the world. He was well known for his roles of Ravana in plays such as ' Thoranayudham' and ' Ravanolbhavam', Narakasura in ' Narakasuravadham', Duryodhana in ' Uttaraswayamvaram', Sisupala in 'Rajasooyam', Hanuman in ' Kalyanasaugandhikam', 'Thoranayudham' and 'Lavanasuravadham', Keechaka in ' Keechakavadham', Dharmaputra in ' Kirmeeravadham' and Arjuna in ' Kalakeyavadham'. Another famous role is that of Parasurama in ' Seethaswayamvaram', the costume of which was of his own design. The generally reticent Ramankutty Nair, who has penned an autobiography named Thiranottam, was a winner of the coveted Padma Bhushan award of the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

. Renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has made an eponymous documentary on Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair. of Kathakali, and is a film by the same name on him by Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

Personal life

The master lived in his native Vellinezhi with his wife Saraswati. On 15 May 2009, he celebrated his 'satabhishekam' (84th birthday) amid fanfare in the nearest town of Cherpulassery. Ramankutty Nair died on 11 March 2013 at age 87.

Awards

* 1974 – Sangeet Natak Akademi Award * 1985 – Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award * 2004 – Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship * 2007 – Padma Bhushan * 2010 – Honorary doctorate by Cochin University of Science and Technology

Sources

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, Ramankutty 1925 births 2013 deaths Male actors from Kerala Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts People from Palakkad district Malayali people Kathakali exponents Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Dancers from Kerala Indian male dancers Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award