Kalamandalam Kesavan

Kalamandalam Kesavan is an Indian actor, playwright and Kathakali Percussionist. He was born on May 18, 1936, in Peringode, Palakkad to Neettiyathu Janakiamma and Vamanan Namboothiri. He became famous for working in the Malayalam film industry from the 1990s to 2000s. Kalamandalam has penned more than forty short plays and poems for Kathakali. He earned many awards for his poem collection including the Kerala Kalamandalam Award, Ravunni Menon Memorial Award, Kala Sathiya Academy Award (for his work entitled Thenthulli) and N.K. Pisharadi Award. 

Kesavan was first trained in percussion by his uncle, Neettiyath Govindan Nair. Later, he was trained by the prominent percussion practitioners like Thiruvillwamala Venkinchan Swami and Moothamana Kesavan Namboodiri, who polished his skills in percussion. But the turning point in his career happened in 1954 when he enrolled at the Kerala Kalamandalam in Thissur, under the Kathakali masters, Appunni and Krishnankutty Poduval. After he had graduated in Kalamandalam, he worked as a performer in RLV Academy, Kala Sadanam and Chunangad. Kalamandalam also worked as a professor at the FACT Kathakali School for three decades, where he became popular as a percussionist and established himself as a writer and Kathakali playwright. Some of his notable works are Melam, Karkodakan, Niyogam, Edakkayude Dukkham, etc. He also wrote a series of poems for children.

After this, he was spotted by filmmaker, Aravindan, who offered him to do a role in the film, Oridathu. However, it didn’t go well after Kalamandalam met an accident. At 65, he started acting in some films and television serials, where he played pivotal roles and became a popular face in the Malayalam film industry. He made his film debut in the year 1988 through G. Aravindan’s Marattam. In 1997, he acted as the grandfather of Sreelakshmi in the Malayalam film, The Car, which stars Jayaram, Sona Nair Sona Nair is a cine actress working mainly in Mala >> Read More... and Janardhanan. The film was directed by Rajasenan. In the same year, he acted in another Rajasenan’s directorial film entitled Katha Nayagan, along with Jayaram, Oduvil Unnikrishnan Oduvil Unnikrishnan was a classic, versatile actor >> Read More... and Divya Unni From her childhood, Divya Unni knew she wanted to >> Read More... in the lead roles. He became popular as Payyarathu Padmanabhan Nair. During 1999, he acted in the award-winning Indian-French-German film, Vanaprastham – The Last Dance, which stars Mohanlal. He was also seen in some films including Saiver Thirumeni, Swapnam Kondu Thulaabhaaram, Saudaamini and more. 

Kesavan got married to Parvathy and had four children. Kalamandalam dies on April 25, 2009, due to a heart attack in his residence in Elamakkara, Kochi.