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

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a 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 regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

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 (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...

district. Ramankutty Nair had served in his alma mater,

Kerala Kalamandalam Kerala Kalamandalam, deemed to be University of Art and Culture by the Government of India, is a major center for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the Southern states of India, with the special emphasis on K ...

, 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

Nambudiri The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal el ...

s) was an overarching presence in the cultural scene of the village, and soon little Ramankutty too fell under his spell. At

, where he subsequently mastered the art, Ramankutty Nair later sculpted out several disciples, the most prominent among them being

Kalamandalam Gopi Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair popularly known as Kalamandalam Gopi, is an Indian dancer who is an exponent of the classical dance-drama style known as Kathakali. Life Born as Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair in the Southern Indian village of ...

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 {{Use Indian English, date=December 2019 Thoranayudham (The Battle at the Entrance) is a Kathakali play ( Aattakatha) authored by Kottarakara Thampuran in Malayalam. Based on the Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ...

' and ' Ravanolbhavam', Narakasura in '

Narakasuravadham Narakasuravadham (The Slaying of Narakasura) is an Aattakatha (Kathakali play) authored by Dharma Raja in Malayalam. Based on the Bhagavatam, it narrates the tale of the rise to power of the demon king Narakasura. Narakasura sends his servant, ...

', Duryodhana in ' Uttaraswayamvaram', Sisupala in 'Rajasooyam', Hanuman in '

Kalyanasaugandhikam {{Use Indian English, date=December 2019 Kalyanasaugandhikam is a Kathakali play ( ''aattakatha'') attributed to Kottayathu Thampuran. Based on the Mahabharatha, the play narrates an episode from the life of the Pandava princes in exile. Bheema set ...

', 'Thoranayudham' and 'Lavanasuravadham', Keechaka in ' Keechakavadham', Dharmaputra in '

Kirmeeravadham Kirmeeravadham (The Slaying of Kirmeera) is a Kathakali play( Aattakatha) written by Kottayam Thampuran (also known as Kottayathu Thampuran) in Malayalam. Based on the Mahabharatha, the story concerns itself with events in the course of the fore ...

' and Arjuna in '

Kalakeyavadham Kalakeyavadham (The Slaying of Kalakeya) is a Kathakali play ( Aattakatha) written by Kottayam Thampuran (also known as Kottayathu Thampuran) in Malayalam.Based on the Mahabharatha, the play describes the events surrounding the Pandava prince Arju ...

'. Another famous role is that of Parasurama in '

Seethaswayamvaram {{Use Indian English, date=December 2019 Seethaswayamvaram (Seetha's Wedding) is a Kathakali play ( Aattakatha) authored by Kottarakara Thampuran in Malayalam. Based on the Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is ...

', 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 The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

award of the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

. Renowned filmmaker

Adoor Gopalakrishnan Adoor Gopalakrishnan (born 3 July 1941) is an Indian film director, script writer, and producer and is regarded as one of the most notable and renowned filmmakers in India. With the release of his first feature film '' Swayamvaram'' (1972), Go ...

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

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 * 2004 – Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship * 2007 –

* 2010 –

Honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

Cochin University of Science and Technology Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is a state government-owned autonomous university in Kochi, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1971 and has three campuses: two in Kochi (Kalamassery and Ernakulam) and one in Kuttanad, Ala ...

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