Appunni Tharakan

Nambiarath Appunni Tharakan (23 August 1928 – 23 January 2025) was an Indian Kathakali artist from Kerala. He worked as Uduthukettal (Make up, dressing and costume of Kathakali performer) expert at aniyara (behind the curtains) of Kathakali. Tharakan received several awards including Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, Kerala Kalamandalam Award for Best Kathakali Aniyara Artist and Kerala Kalamandalam Mukundaraja Award.

Early life and career Nambiarath Appunni Tharakan was born on 3 August 1928, at Mangod near Cherpulassery in present-day Palakkad district, to Kunjan Tharakan and Kutty Pennamma. He dropped out of his education halfway and went to the Vazhengada temple to earn a living. Until then, the post of Aniyarakkaran was not in the Kalamandalam.

Personal life and death Tharakan and his wife, Parvathy, had four children; Unnikrishnan, Sivaraman, Mohanan and the late Sankaranarayanan.

Awards and recognitions Kerala Kalamandalam Award for Best Kathakali Aniyara Artist, 2021 Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair Award Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award Veerasrimgala from Mangod desham Vellinezhi Olappamanna Mana Special Award Award from Kozhikode Thodayam He was honored at the International Kathakali and Koodiyattam Festival in Dubai.