Thekkinkattil Ravunni Nair

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Thekkinkattil Ravunni Nair
Born
Ravunni Nair

1888 (1888)
Tachhanattukara, Palakkad district, British India (present-day Kerala, India)
Died1962 (aged 73–74)
Karalmanna, Palakkad district, Kerala
NationalityIndian
AwardsSangeet Natak Akademi Award (1961)

Thekkinkattil Ravunni Nair also known as Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair was a Kathakali dancer from Kerala in India. He is a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by Sangeet Natak Akademi, Government of India.

Biography

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Ravunni Nair was born on 1888, in Tachhanattukara village in present-day Palakkad district of Kerala.[1]

Ravunni Nair was the first disciple of Kathakali legend Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon.[2] He trained under him for 15 years.[2] In 1902, Ravunni Nair became a Kathakali performer in the Poomulli Mana Kaliyogam.[3] At that time, when his guru Ravunni Menon fell ill with rheumatism, it was Ravunni Nair who helped and cared for him.[3] He also performed for kaliyogams (troupes) of Nedumpulli Mana, Modappilappally Mana and Kumbalath Embranthiri.[1]

Ravunni Nair died in 1962 due to age related illness, at Karalmanna, Palakkad district.[2][1]

Career

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Portraying both Pacha (good characters) and Kathi (negative characters) roles in Kathakali, he has portrayed many female Kathakali characters, and his role as Urvashi has received widespread critical acclaim.[2] Other than acting in Kathakali, he was also an expert in Kathakali costume making.[1]

Started teaching at Koodallur Mana in 1947, followed by Thootha near Cherpulassery and Ankarath in Palakkad, he became a Kathakali teacher at Sadanam in 1957.[2][1] Kathakali artists like Sadanam Krishnankutty, Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan and Sadanam Ramankutty were his disciples.[2]

Nair has also published a book on the art of Kathakali acting, named Natya rachana in 1956, which describes the rasas (face expression of emotions) in Kathakali, their nature, and the techniques of performing it.[4][1]

Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Lal, Ananda (2004). "Nair, Thekinkattil Ramunni". The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre. Oxford University Press. p. 297. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001/acref-9780195644463-e-0407.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Reporter, Staff (26 September 2017). "From an artist to another". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "പട്ടിക്കാംതൊടി രാവുണ്ണി മേനോൻ | കഥകളി.ഇൻഫൊ | Kathakali.info | കളിയറിവുകളുടെ തിരമൊഴി | The internet Kathakali hangout". prev.kathakali.info.
  4. ^ "Thekkinkattil Ravunni Nair" (PDF).