Chavara Parukutty

Chavara Parukutty Amma (12 February 1943 – 7 February 2019) was an Indian artiste of the Kathakali dance drama. She was one of the few women exponents of this overwhelmingly male tradition. For her services to the art of Kerala, she was honoured with the Kerala Kalamandalam and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi awards.

Life Chavara Parukutty Amma was born to Naniyamma and N. Shankaran Achary, a goldsmith, at Chekkatu Kizhakkethil in Kerala, the youngest of their three children. She obtained an undergraduate degree in economics from the Fatima Mata National College.

Trained as a classical dancer, she switched to Kathakali in her teenage years. Her first teacher was Muthupilakkadu Gopala Panikker.

Parukutty Amma had a daughter, Dhanya, who is also a dance artiste.

Parukutty Amma was fortunate in obtaining admission to a Kathakali institute; without credentials from the academy, other women were severely disadvantaged. Even she faced unfortunate odds in her career, scarcely being able to make a living from it.

Parukutty Amma's debut was with the dance drama Poothanamoksham in 1958, in the role of Lalita, the benevolent manifestation of the demoness Poothana who was sent by Kamsa to kill the baby Krishna. She then began training herself in male roles under Poruvazhi Gopala Pillai, the first presentation being of Bhima in Kalyanasaugandhikam.

Mankulam Vishnu Namboothiri, a Kathakali doyen, saw her performance and undertook her further training in every female role in Kathakali. Her essaying of the role of Devayani was particularly lauded for her command of nuance and emotion, as Devayani first beholds Kacha. Indeed, she often played the male role of Kacha as well.

Selected reading