Gopalan Nair Venu

🪔 About

Gopalan Nair Venu, popularly known as G. Venu, is a distinguished Indian classical dance exponent, choreographer, research scholar, and master trainer from Kerala, India, born on July 1, 1945, in Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram district. His parents were Chittore Gopalan Nair and Sumathy Kutty Amma. Venu began his artistic journey at the age of eleven, studying Kathakali under Keerickattu Sankar Pillai, and later pursued advanced training with Guru Gopinath and Chengannur Raman Pillai. He was the inaugural student at Viswakalakendram, a dance institute established by Guru Gopinath in 1963. A pivotal moment in his career came at age 37 when he decided to delve into Koodiyattam, a classical Sanskrit theatre form indigenous to Kerala. He resigned from his faculty position at the School of Drama and Fine Arts, University of Calicut, to train under the legendary gurus Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and Ammannur Parameswara Chakyar in 1977, becoming the first non-Chakyar to formally learn the art form. He made his Koodiyattam debut (Arangeettam) in 1984. G. Venu is widely recognized for his profound contributions to the performing arts. In 1975, he founded Natanakairali in Irinjalakuda, a significant training and research center dedicated to the preservation and revival of traditional Kerala art forms. He also established the Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam in 1982, a Koodiyattam school based on the traditional Gurukula system. Venu developed a unique actor training methodology called "Navarasa Sadhana," which focuses on the nine rasas for emotional expression. He also invented a comprehensive dance notation system for documenting mudras (hand gestures) in various Kerala dance and theatre traditions, including Kathakali, Koodiyattam, and Mohiniyattam. His efforts have led to the rejuvenation of several rare art forms such as Pavakathakali, Tholppava Koothu, Kakkarissi Natakam, Padayani, and Mudiyettu. Venu has adapted classical Sanskrit plays by Kalidasa and Bhasa for Koodiyattam. He has served as a visiting Master Teacher at the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) in Singapore and was one of the four honorary directors of the "World Theatre Project" in Sweden. He retired from Koodiyattam performance in 2012. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2023), Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture (2007), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2007), Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1977), Kerala Kalamandalam Award (2005), Kerala Kalamandalam Fellowship (2024), Homi Bhabha Fellowship, DakshinaChitra Viruthu, Nritha Paramacharya Award (2022), Nruthya Pitamaha title (2023), Vayosevana Award for Comprehensive Contribution (2024), Senior Fellowship (Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India).