Odakkuzhal Award
1 appearances
Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair
カラマンダラム・パドマナバーン・ナイル
Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1928-10-07 （Kuruvattoor near Vellinezhi, Malabar district, Madras Presidency, British India）
- Died
- 2007-04-03 （Shoranur, Palakkad district, Kerala, India） age 78
- Nationality
- India
- Languages
- Malayalam, English
- Residence History
- Vellinezhi (birth region) → Kerala Kalamandalam (long-term residence/workplace) → Shoranur (later life residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Kathakali exponent, Teacher, Educator (curriculum development), Researcher/Author, Principal (Kerala Kalamandalam)
- Active Years
- 1938-2007
- Affiliations
- Kerala Kalamandalam
- Influenced By
- Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Kalluvazhi school tradition
- Influenced
- Students and practitioners at Kerala Kalamandalam, Contemporary Kathakali researchers and educators
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala Kalamandalam | — | Kathakali department | — | 1938–1951 | India |
| PSV Natyasangham, Kottakkal | — | Dance/Drama training | — | 1950年代（在籍期間詳細不明） | India |
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kathakali department
Period:
1938–1951
Country:
India
Entered at age 10; later became teacher and retired as principal in 1990.
PSV Natyasangham, Kottakkal
Dance/Drama training
Period:
1950年代（在籍期間詳細不明）
Country:
India
Studied here before/or around his recruitment to Kalamandalam; exact years unclear.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (Kathakali) | — | — | Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1994 | Sangeet Natak Akademi Award | — | — | Sangeet Natak Akademi | 受賞 |
| 2006 | Kathakali Purasakaram | — | — | Government of Kerala | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Odakkuzhal Award | Natyachariante Jeevithamudrakal | — | Odakkuzhal Award committee | 受賞 |
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (Kathakali)
1991
Organization:
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi
Result:
受賞
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
1994
Organization:
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Result:
受賞
Kathakali Purasakaram
2006
Organization:
Government of Kerala
Result:
受賞
Odakkuzhal Award
2004
Work:
Natyachariante Jeevithamudrakal
Organization:
Odakkuzhal Award committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kathakali Vesham
1980 Performing arts study / technical manualA two-volume work discussing Kathakali costume (vesham), techniques and the grammar of expression; contains systematic technical analyses.
Kathakali techniqueGrammar of bodily expressionTradition and pedagogy
Cholliyattam
2000 Dance/performance theoryFocuses on cholliyattam—the detailed instruction and execution in Kathakali—discussing technique and aesthetics.
Performance detailAestheticsTeaching methods
Adaptations
- [Film/documentary] Cholliyattam filmed at Kerala Kalamandalam (filmed by David Bolland) / David Bolland (1985)
Attakkatha Saram
Dramatic literature / notesContains the 'saram' (essentials) of seventeen Attakkathas (Kathakali play-texts).
Attakkatha commentarySummaries of play-texts
Natyachariante Jeevithamudrakal
2004 Dance studies / biographical essaysCo-authored volume containing essays on Kathakali, pedagogy and life; known for receiving the Odakkuzhal Award.
Life in danceTeaching and transmission
Bibliography
- Kathakali Vesham
- Cholliyattam
- Attakkatha Saram
- Natyachariante Jeevithamudrakal (co-authored)
Adaptations
- David Bolland's filmed documentation of Kathakali cholliyattam (1985, at Kerala Kalamandalam)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Technical and scholarly proseClear, instructional tone befitting an educator
- Recurring Motifs
- Detailed bodily languageSystematization and pedagogy of traditionPursuit of performance aesthetics
Legacy
Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair was a master who significantly shaped Kathakali pedagogy and codification. He left detailed writings on technique and aesthetics, taught at Kerala Kalamandalam, trained many students, and left valuable filmed documentation for researchers.
Archives
- Kerala Kalamandalam archives (holds related materials)
Quotes
-
Greatest teacher of Kerala's own art form
Source: The Hindu (tribute) (2007)
Trivia
- Entered Kerala Kalamandalam at a young age and remained connected to the institution throughout his life.
- 1985 filmed documentation by David Bolland is highly valued by researchers.
- His spouse was Mohiniyattam exponent Kalamandalam Satyabhama.