 | This article mayrequirecleanup to meet Wikipedia'squality standards. The specific problem is:lack of sources, inappropriate tone. Please helpimprove this article if you can.(December 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair | |
|---|---|
 Kalamandalam Gopi during a public function in 2011. | |
| Born | (1937-05-21)21 May 1937 (age 88) Kothachira,Kerala, India |
| Other names | Kalamandalam Gopi |
| Occupation(s) | Kathakali Actor, actor |
Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair popularly known asKalamandalam Gopi, is an Indian dancer who is an exponent of the classical dance-drama style known asKathakali.
Born as Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair in the Southern Indian village ofKothachira in Kerala, he completed his formal lessons in the dance from the Kerala Kalamandalam in 1957.[1] He began his career on the Kathakali stage in the 1960s and 1970s, but he had been appointed as a teacher at his alma mater, the Kerala Kalamandalam in 1957, by poet laureate Vallathol Narayana Menon, who had founded the school.[1]
In 1992, Gopi retired from the post as school principal and he is the only living performer of the art to have been appointed by Vallathol Narayana Menon himself.[1] He is considered an icon of this dance performance.[1]
The government of India awarded him the civilian honour ofPadma Shri in 2009.[2]
Gopi is known for the romantic and dramatic portrayal of the virtuous pachcha roles in Kathakali, notable among them beingNalan,Karnan andRukmangadan. He has also played the choreographically denser roles of Bheeman (in the storiesKalyanasougandhikam orBakavadham), Arjuna (Subhadraharanam) and Dharmaputrar (that'sYudhishthira inKirmeeravadham). Gopi is also highly regarded for his portrayal of yellow-faced pazhukka roles and other styles.
Gopi is a disciple of the award-winningKalamandalam Ramankutty Nair,Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair andKeezhpadam Kumaran Nair, and was trained atKerala Kalamandalam, nearShoranur. Before that, he had a brief career as a practitioner of the more folksyOttamthullal, the solo dance form with lyrics by theKunchan Nambiar, a satirical poet. That was followed by his initiation into Kathakali by a leading guru calledThekkinkattil Ramunni Nair at the Koodallur Mana (a mansion of an upper-casteNamboodiri family) near Kothachira.
By the 1960s, Gopi's male protagonist roles were complemented byKottakkal Sivaraman, who gained name as an exponent of female roles on the stage. The pair still perform on stage together, although Gopi now also works with a younger colleague,Margi Vijayakumar.
Gopi has also acted (without Kathakali make-up or costumes) in severalMalayalam feature films likeVanaprastham.
FilmmakerAdoor Gopalakrishnan made a documentary film of Gopi, entitledKalamandalam Gopi. The film was shown at theInternational Film Festival of India in 2000, as well as at other festivals in India and abroad. Journalist Meena (Das) Narayan produced and directed a docu-fiction about Gopi in 2010. TitledMaking of a maestro, the documentary explores the evolution of Nair from childhood onwards.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
