Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 (age 74–75) |
| Occupation | Koodiyattam performer |
| Awards | Padma Shri Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award Margi Gold Medal Natyakala Ratnam Award Mrinalini Sarabhai Award Smithsonian Institution Certificate of appreciation |
| Website | Official web site |
Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri is an Indian classical theatre performer, the first person from outsidechakyar community to practiceKoodiyattam,[1] from Kerala. He was awarded thePadma Shri, in 2012, for his contributions to the art of Koodiyattam, by the Government of India.[2]
My venture in Koodiyattam was accidental,says Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri,It happened thanks toKathakali maestro Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair and my guru, latePainkulam Raman Chakyar[3]
Sivan Namboodiri was born in 1950 to Ammankotu Manakkal Madhavan Namboodiri, a farmer and Devaki Antharjanam, as the youngest of their three sons, atShornur,Palakkad, in the south Indian state of Kerala.[4][5][6] He had his early schooling atKanayam andVadanamkurissi, but, being a poor student, had to drop out of school at Grade 7. He joinedKerala Kalamandalam, in 1965, at the age of 14, to learnKathakali.
During that period, the renowned Koodiyattam maestro,Painkulam Raman Chakyar, was in the process of setting up the Koodiyattam department at Kalamandalam and, on the insistence ofVallathol Narayana Menon, the founder of the institute, and K. N. Pisharody, Sivan changed his course to study Koodiyattam, as one of the two students of the first batch of Koodiyattam.[4] Sivan was fortunate to learn the art from the masters such as Painkulam Raman Chakyar,Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair (Kathakali thespian), andKalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval (Chenda exponent).[5][6]
After the initial study of 6 years, Sivan enrolled for the post graduate course of 2 years at Kalamandalam. This was followed by an advanced course in New Delhi, with the help of a scholarship from the Department of Culture, Government of India.[5][6]
In 1975, he joined Kerala Kalamandalam as an instructor in the Faculty of Koodiyattam and, at present, is the most experienced teacher there. In 1980,University of Calicut invited him to be a part of the School of Drama where is working as a visiting professor since then.[6]
Sivan Namboodiri is married to Indira,Sanskrit teacher at a local school and the couple has two children. The family lives in Palakkad.[4]
The highlight of Sivan Namboodiri's career came in Paris, when he performed two acts,Kailasoddhaaranam (Ravana liftingMount Kailasa) andParvathiviraham (Goddess Parvathi's separation fromLord Siva), before a UNESCO jury to select art forms to be considered for inclusion in UNESCO'sMasterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The jury approved the inclusion of Koodiyattam subsequent to the show.[7]
He also performed in Germany at the Cologne Festival in 1980.[3]
Sivan Namboodiri was the first artist from outside thechakyar community to perform Koodiyattam. He is also considered as the first person to learn Koodiyattam in an institutional way; till his entry, Koodiyattam was taught under thegurukula system. Another first attributed to Sivan Namboodiri is that he was the first male to performNangyar Koothu which was the domain ofnangiars, the ladies fromNambiar community. He is also credited with revolutionizing the Koodiyattam costumes and accompanying music.[8]
2007 He Got Sangeet Natak academy award for Kutiyattam
Invis Multimedia has brought out an almost hour-long video on the performance of Sivan Namboodiri.[10]
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