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Shri Guru Painkulam Raman Chakyar remains a legend in Koothu &
Koodiyattam, an ancient performance art confined to Kerala.
He was a distinguished artiste, teacher and scholar, besides being
a master of vachikabhinaya in both koothu and Koodiyattam
He was born in 1910, in Painkulam village, closely adjacent to Vallatholnagar, Cheruthuruthy (Trichur Dist) where Keralakalamandalam is located. |
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He
had total 17 years of intensive
study in Sanskrit and extensive training in koothu and koodiyattam under
different popular gurus.
He had his first stage performance in 1917. From 1925 onwards, he had regular programmes in various temples and religious places spread all over Kerala. He directed, supervised and participated himself in more than 100 koodiyattam plays, which were edited and condensed by him for better understanding of the contemporary audience without affecting the artistic integrity and authenticity. He had more than 1000 stage appearances in different roles, besides being a regular participant in All India Radio programmes. He successfully produced and staged the 2nd Act of Sakunthalam, 3rd Act of Nagananda and Jadayuvadhankam in Ascharyachoodamani. He also supervised and participated in the production of a colour documentary film on koodiyattam in 1974. During
his professional tenure in Keralakalamandalam (from 1965 till his death),
he trained up fie batches of Koodiyattam & Koothu artistes from
different communitites and organised excellent troupes and also taught
short term courses to research students coming from foreign universities. He
was the recepient of Honours, Veerasrinkhasas and cash awards from various
(i) cutural bodies like The Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi, MARGI Institute
of Kerala, The Experimental Theatre of Bombay, (ii) distinguished
individuals like Kacnchi Kamakoti Jagatguru Sankaracharya Swamikal,
Punnathur Raja, Kunchikrishna
Raja of Chiralayam Palace, Raja of Nilambur Palace, Thirunavaya Vadhyan,
etc. and (iii) temples, cultural and religious institutions too numerous
to be listed here. It
is no gainsaying that late Shri Raman Chakyar was a leader with a vision
and a mission to the world of art. It
was he who took the daring initiative of taking koothu outside the
traditional temple precincts (his first outside performance being in 1950)
and also venturing a similar feat in koodiyattam in 1955 when he uniquely
conducted a koodiyattam programme
under the auspices of The All India Radio, Calicut before an invited audience.
From then onwards, after this eventful and daring feat, he and his
troupe were to be flooded with a series of several successful repeat
performances not only in Kerala, but also in various other prominent
cities all over the country. His
cup of glory and fame was full to the brim when, as the Head of the
Koodiyattam Dept. of Keralakalamandalam,
he led his victorious troupe to the world
arena (Paris, Poland, Germany - to name a few) and presented this
difficult, intricate and exquisite art with unparalleled grace and mastery
to the august audiences overseas. His
end came at the peak of his fame, soon ofter the return from his momentous
European tour in 1980, leaving behind a trail of his splendid contribution
and good works and, more important, a pre-set mission to be pursued by his
followers and lovers of this great ancient art of Kerala. |
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It
is to him that the words of Natyashastra aptly apply:
“ The one who studies
the Natyaveda enunciated by Brahma, The
one who practises it and the one who watches it share
the fate of those learned in Veda, of
those offering sacrifices and of the charitable.” Late Shri Guru Painkulam Raman Chakyar now shares this glorious fate and his scions in the Natyaveda can be proud of being entrusted with a holy responsibility of praising the Vagdevi through the art of Bharatas. |
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Designed By Prashanth Bhaskaran |