Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair
| Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 11, 1914 Cheruthazham, Kannur, British India (present-day Kerala, India) |
| Died | August 15, 1990 Tripunithura, Kerala, India |
| Spouse(s) | Smt. Kalyanikuttyamma |
| Awards | 1967: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1970: Padma Shri |
Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair (March 11, 1914 – August 15, 1990) was one of the most renowned Kathakali artists of any time, and arguably the greatest in the history of the four-century-old classical dance-drama from Kerala in southern India. He had fleshy, flexible and clean-cut facial features that were powerful to launch any emotion with amazing power and ease, and was intelligent enough to acquire and exhibit varied styles of Kathakali that were in vogue across Kerala during his lifetime.
A Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, Krishnan Nair was a genuine all-rounder who had the caliber to emote any role in Kathakali and, what's more, add his signature flair to it. Even so, he was most widely celebrated for his playing of the virtuous and romantic pachcha (green-hued) roles like Nalan, Bhiman, Arjunan, Rukmangadan and Karnan.
A native of Cheruthazham in Kannur taluk of Kannur district in North Malabar,kerala, he was initiated into Kathakali in his early teenages under the tutelage of Guru Chandu Panikker. By 19, he got noticed by Kerala Kalamandalam co-founder, poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, and inducted Krishnan Nair into his institute, then near Mulankunnathukavu, north of Thrissur in central Kerala. It was there that Krishnan Nair was trained under gurus of varied style—like Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Thakazhi Kunchu Kurup, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair and Mani Madhava Chakyar.
Krishnan Nair had his higher studies on Rasa-abhinaya (facial emotions which stressed on eye exercises) from the celebrated Kudiyattam maestro Natyacharya Māni Mādhava Chākyār, who too won the Padma Shri. Krishnan Nair was deeply influenced by Shri. Chakyar.
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