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Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody (15 August 1943 – 1 December 2022) was an Indian
After an initial brief stint at Kerala Kalamandalam, he continued his education for two years there with the Scholarship of Central Govt. He finished his studies in 1969, After that Vasu Pisharody worked at a kalari (Kathakali classroom) run by the Guruvayur Kathakali Club in a Temporary post till 1979. He rejoined Kalamandalam in 1979 and worked there for two decades before retiring as its vice-principal of Kathakali Vesham in 1999.
Pisharody died from heart disease at his house in Kongad, on 1 December 2022, at the age of 79.
Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody (15 August 1943 – 1 December 2022) was an Indian Kathakali
Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
actor known for his classical dance-drama of Kerala. A frontline disciple of Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair
Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, also spelt Kunju Nair, (1909-1981) was an Indian Kathakali dancer.
Life
He mainly served in PSV Natya Sangham, Kottakkal, since 1946, and from 1960 to 1972 at Kerala Kalamandalam. He was the first principal of Kerala Kala ...
, he exceled in virtuous , anti-hero Kathi and the semi-realistic minukku roles alike. Nala
Nala (Sanskrit: नल) is a character in the ''Vana Parva'' book of the ''Mahabharata''. He was the king of Nishadha Kingdom and the son of Veerasena. Nala was known for his skill with horses and for his culinary expertise. He married prince ...
n, Bahukan, Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
n, Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
n, Dharmaputrar, Rugmangadan, Narakaasuran, Ravanan, Parashuraman and Brahmana
The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas. They are a secondary layer or classification of Sanskrit texts embedded within ea ...
n were his masterpieces. Vasu Pisharody performed Kathakali all over India and visited foreign countries about 20 times.
Life and career
Vasu Pisharody was born atKongad
Kongad may refer to:
Kongad is a town and state assembly constituency in Palakkad district, state of Kerala, India. It is a local government organisation that serves the villages of Kongad-I and Kongad-II.
* Kongad-I, a village in Palakkad distr ...
in the Palakkad district, on 15 August 1943. His primary education is up to 7th. After schooling, he had his primary Kathakali lessons under Balakrishnan Nair at Kerala Kalalayam in Ottapalam.Kathakali Vijnanakosam (encyclopedia), page 420 He learned Kathakali
Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
after his 7th in Kerala Kalalayam, for one year. He subsequently joined PSV Natyasangham in Kottakkal, was a student there for three years, and later in Kerala Kalamandalam, where he undertook further studies for seven years—both under Padmasree Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair. Vasu Pisharody also had his higher studies under Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair and Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair.
After an initial brief stint at Kerala Kalamandalam, he continued his education for two years there with the Scholarship of Central Govt. He finished his studies in 1969, After that Vasu Pisharody worked at a kalari (Kathakali classroom) run by the Guruvayur Kathakali Club in a Temporary post till 1979. He rejoined Kalamandalam in 1979 and worked there for two decades before retiring as its vice-principal of Kathakali Vesham in 1999.
Pisharody died from heart disease at his house in Kongad, on 1 December 2022, at the age of 79.
Awards
Vasu Pisharody is a winner of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award. * Veerashrinkhala from Kongad. * Awards from several Kathakali clubs. * Kerala Kalamandalam Award in 1998. * Fellowship from Central Human Resources Development Ministry. * Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. * Kerala Kalamandalam Fellowship. * Shri Pattikkamthodi Puraskar - Kerala Kalamandalam. * Shri Pattikkamthodi Puraskar - Gandhi Seva Sadan. * Olappamanna Devi Puraskar. * Kalamandalam Krishnan Kutty Podhuval Puraskar. * Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair Kalyanikkuty Amma Puraskar. * Puraskar from "Sarggam" Kongad.Later years
An ailment forced him to take a break from Kathakali in 2005, but his health improved again. He made a comeback to the stage in end-March 2009 at the Thirumandhamkunnu temple in his village of Kongad.References