Kavalam Narayana Panicker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kavalam Narayana Panicker
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Kavalam Narayana Panicker
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| Born | 1 May 1928 Kavalam, Travancore
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| Died | 26 June 2016 (aged 88) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Poet, playwright, theatre director, lyricist |
Kavalam Narayana Panicker (born May 1, 1928 – died June 26, 2016) was a famous Indian writer, theatre director, and poet. He wrote more than 26 plays in the Malayalam language. Many of his plays were based on old Indian stories and even plays by William Shakespeare.
Some of his well-known plays include Vikramorvasiyam and Shakuntalam, which were inspired by the ancient writer Kalidasa. He also adapted plays by Bhāsa, like Karnabharam. Kavalam started a theatre group called Sopanam. This group later helped create Bhashabharati, a center for performing arts in Thiruvananthapuram.
Kavalam received many important awards for his work. In 1983, he won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his directing skills. Later, in 2002, he received the highest honor from the Sangeet Natak Akademi for his lifetime achievements. The Government of India also honored him with the Padma Bhushan in 2007. He passed away at his home in 2016 when he was 88 years old.
Early Life and School
Kavalam Narayana Panicker was born in a village called Kavalam in Kerala, India. His family was very old and came from the Kuttanad area. He was related to other famous people, like Sardar Kavalam Madhava Panikkar and Dr. K. Ayyappa Panicker, who was a well-known Malayalam poet.
He went to CMS College in Kottayam for his studies. Later, he earned a degree in economics from Sanatana Dharma College in Alappuzha. He also studied law and got a law degree from Madras Law College.
His Career in Arts
Kavalam first started his career as a lawyer in 1955. He worked as a lawyer for six years. But then, he decided to focus completely on art and writing. In 1961, he became the Secretary of the Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Thrissur. This made him move to Thrissur, which is known as the cultural center of Kerala.
His work was always deeply connected to the traditional and folk arts of Kerala. In 1974, Kavalam moved to Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. During this time, his play Avanavan Kadamba was even made into a movie.
Kavalam worked in many different countries. He even worked in the former Soviet Union. In Greece, he collaborated with Greek artists. They created a play called Ilyayana, which mixed stories from the Indian Ramayana and the Greek epic Iliad.
He also directed two films about a great Kutiyattam actor named Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar. These films were Mani Madhava Chakyar: The Master at Work and Parvati Viraham. Besides directing, he also wrote songs for Malayalam films. He wrote lyrics for movies like Ulsavapittennu and Manjadikuru. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics twice for his songs in Vadakakkoru Hridayam and Marmaram.
In 1993, his play Ottayan was directed in New York City. Critics praised how it showed the rich traditions of Asian folk theatre. His work is also featured in books about theatre. He was a consultant for Asianet Communications and a vice-chairman for Sangeet Natak Akademi in New Delhi.
Family Life
Kavalam Narayana Panicker was married to Saradamani. They lived in Thiruvananthapuram but also had a home in his native village of Kavalam. They had two sons. His elder son, Kavalam Harikrishnan, passed away in 2009. His younger son, Kavalam Sreekumar, is a singer. Sreekumar has sung folk songs, light music, and also for Malayalam films for many years.
Awards and Honors
Kavalam Narayana Panicker received many important awards for his contributions to arts:
- 1983: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- 2000: Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship
- 2002: Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (highest award for lifetime achievement)
- 2007: Padma Bhushan (a high civilian award from the Indian government)
He also won:
- 1978: Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics for Vadakakkoru Hridayam
- 1982: Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics for Marmaram
- 1994–1995: Kalidas Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh
Other awards include:
- 2013: TTK Prestige-Vanitha Film Awards – Best Lyricist for Amen
- 2013: Asiavision Awards – Best Lyricist
His Published Works
Kavalam Narayana Panicker also wrote and published several books:
