Mr. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar

Born on 28th April, 1928, Mr. Narayana Panikkar hails from a village called ‘Kavalam’ in Alappuzha District, Kerala. Kavalam is a waterlogged area in Kuttanadu which is the granary of the state and also rich in many folk arts. This illustrious son of Kerala was born to Godavarma, and Chalayil Kunjuleksmy Amma. With bachelor degrees in arts and law, Mr. Narayana Panikkar before indulging fully into his artistic pursuits, for a brief period practiced law in the District Court of Alappuzha.

Inspired by his renowned uncle, the late Sardar K. M. Panikkar, Mr. Narayana Panikkar started writing poetry from a young age. His poetry is noted for its rural idioms. He has done research in the folk and classical arts of Kerala. He entered theatre in 1964 inspired by folk and classical traditions of Kerala.

Today, Mr. Panikkar is a towering personality in the theatre scenario of Kerala and the rest of India. He has done deep research in the indigenous "music and tala (rhythm)" tradition of Kerala Sopana Sangeetam. Panikkar has established himself as one of Kerala's most respected playwrights with 26 Malayalam plays to his credit, and has also translated English and Sanskrit plays into Malayalam. His works have opened a new way in the world of Malayalam & Sanskrit dramas.

In his pursuit to experiment and establish new avenues in music and theatre, Mr. Narayana Panikkar also had the opportunity to serve as the Secretary of the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi from 1961 to 1971. He is the founder Director of ‘Sopanam,’ the theatre wing of Bhasabharati, the centre for Performing Arts, Research and Training. Through 'Sopanam', he has tried to discover the basic principles of theatre through various dance and music forms like Sopana Sangeetam, Mohiniyattam, contemporary recreations of epics etc. It seeks to interweave dramatic action with music and dance patterns, so that the spectator can discern the philosophical meanings inherent in epic tales like those of the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

He is the current Chairman of Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi, and is the driving force behind Sopanam, the centre for promoting folk, tribal and classical art forms. He was instrumental in the production of the Interactive CD-ROM, “Kerala- The Green Symphony,” developed by Invis Multimedia in association with Kerala Tourism.

Address:
Mr. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar
Tagore Road, Thrikkannapuram, Aramada P.O.
Thiruvananthapuram - 695 032
Phone: ++91-471-2351559, Fax: ++91-471-2354430
E-mail: sopanam@bhasabharathi.com, Website: www.bhasabharathi.com