Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair

 Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair is one of the senior performers of the Kathakali form of dance. This dance personality is known for his poise and precise body movements and it is with the help of such distinguished body movements that the dance has made an acclaimed position in the field of Kathakali Dance. Born in 1925, Ramankutty Nair hailed from a family with no Kathakali pedigree. But Ravunni Menon, a resident tutor at the renowned Olappamanna Mana (a mansion of the upper-caste Nambudiris) was an overarching presence in the cultural scene of the village, and soon little Ramankutty too fell under his spell. At Kerala Kalamandalam, where he subsequently mastered the art, Ramankutty Nair later sculpted out several disciples, the most prominent among them being Kalamandalam Gopi besides Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, M.P.S. Namboodiri, Balasubramanian and the late K. Gopalakrishnan.

Ramankutty Nair is extolled for his fidelity to the Kalluvazhi tradition perfected by his mentor Pattickamthodi Ramunni Menon and for his effortless interpretation of plays characterized by rigid grammar and choreography.Ramankutty Nair has mostly been associated with characters representing rajo guna with kathi make-up - evil yet valorous characters like Ravana,Duryodhana,Keechaka and Narakasura. His representations of such characters have become the yardstick for many connoisseurs.

The character of the Monkey-God Hanuman was also one which he excelled in performing. His Hanuman in Kalyanasougandhigam,Thoranayudham and Lavanasuravadham are among his best characterizations.All his celebrated roles are notable for the harmonious interaction with the percussion instruments,especially the chenda. His long-term association with chenda maestro Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval helped greatly in this regard. Poduval,a genius himself,provided inspired accompaniment to enhance Ramankutty Nair's characters.

Death of Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair

Ramankutty Nair died on March 11, 2013 at age 87.