Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair – Renowned Kathakali artist who revived this art form

Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair (1914-1990) was a renowned Kathakali artist who lived in the 20^th century, who played a magnificent role in reviving and popularizing this art form. He was known to be a doyen who could immaculate any role in Kathakali, and he also owned numerous disciples of this field. His wife Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma was a great Mohiniyattam artist, credited to renovating this art form, apart from Vallathol Narayana Menon and Swati Tirunal. Their son Kalasala Babu is a film actor, while their daughter Sreedevi Rajan and granddaughters – Sandhya Rajan and Smita Rajan are Mohiniyattam artists, known for renovating this art form through new techniques. He was a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1967 and Padma Sri in 1970.

Krishnan Nair hailed from Payyannur in Taliparamba taluk of Kannur district. Guru Chandu Panikker was his first guru. He was spotted by Vallathol Narayana Menon at the age of 19. After joining Kalamandalam, he received training from Mani Madhava Chakyar, Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Thakazhi Kunchu Kurup, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair etc which helped him to learn and adopt different styles. He studied Rasa-abhinaya from Mani Madhava Chakyar on whom he idolized upon. He married Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma in 1940 and they established Kerala Kalalayam in Aluva in 1952. Till then they taught at Kalamandalam, Thrissur. While Vallathol was in his dead bed he assigned the huge responsibility to promote and revive Kathakali and Mohiniyattam to this celebrated couple, and later they fulfilled his wishes.

Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. His romantic roles like Bhiman, Arjunan, Nalan, Rukmangadan and Karnan were quite popular.

2. He met his future wife for the first time at Kalamandalam, when Krishnan Nair, a residential Kathakali teacher then, presented “Poothana moksham” before her. Then she was quite young and when the renowned artist depicted Poothana, she could not bear to watch the latter portion of this piece, and left before the item was over. 

3. He died on the Independent Day in year 1990.

4. His children and grandchildren are associated with the field of Mohiniyattam, who chose Kalyanikutty’s field.

5. His grandchild Smita Rajan got opportunity to give her arangettam performance in Kathakali alongside her legendary grandfather, for Rukmini Swayamvaram. She enacted the part of Rukmini while Krishnan Nair played Sundara Brahmanan. Apart from Kathakali she also learnt Abhinaya and Mudras from him. However with teens her attention fully shifted to Mohiniyattam.