Kalamandalam M Amaljith

🪔 About

Kalamandalam M. Amaljith, a distinguished Kathakali exponent, was born on May 25, 1974, in Alleppey (Alappuzha), Kerala, into a family deeply rooted in Kathakali. His initial training in the art form began at the tender age of 12 under the tutelage of his grandfather, Guru Champakulam Pachu Pillai, and Guru Gopinath. He further honed his skills through a three-year preliminary course at Kudamaloor Kalakendram, where he received instruction from esteemed gurus such as Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Mathoor Govindan Kutty, Kalamandalam Ramakrishnan, and Kalamandalam Murali. Amaljith then pursued formal education at Kerala Kalamandalam, a premier institution for traditional performing arts, where he successfully completed a six-year Diploma and a two-year Post Diploma in Kathakali Vesham. His dedication and talent were recognized early, earning him the KPS Menon Award for the best student in 1992-93 from Kerala Kalamandalam. He also received a scholarship from the Department of Culture, Government of India, in 1997, followed by a Junior Fellowship from the same department for the period 2000-2002. In 2000, Kalamandalam M. Amaljith joined the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi as a Teacher-cum-Performer, a role he has maintained since. Under the guidance of then-Principal Shri Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan, he has been actively involved in teaching students at the Centre. His career as a performer has seen him extensively tour and perform across India and internationally in countries such as the U.S.A., Thailand, Netherlands, Spain, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, France, and Italy. Amaljith is known for his versatility, having portrayed various character roles from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and also adapting to Western classics like William Shakespeare's "Othello" and "Macbeth," a Nigerian play "Sakara," and "Kalevala" from Finnish folklore. He has demonstrated proficiency in all 'veshams' (character types) including Pacha, Kathi, Kari, Tadi, and Minuku. His contributions to Kathakali were honored with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2010 and the 'Natana Praveena' title from Dr. Guru Gopinath Trust in 2011. He has also conducted lecture-demonstrations for CCRT in Delhi and Hyderabad and workshops in Spain, and taught at institutions like the National School of Drama in Delhi. He is certified as a 'B' Grade artiste of "Delhi Doordarshan." Awards & Honours: Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2010), KPS Menon Award (1992), Natana Praveena (2011), Scholarship from Department of Culture (Government of India) (1997), Junior Fellowship from Department of Culture (Government of India) (2000).