Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai

Inchakattu Ramachandran Pillai is an Indian Kathakali actor from Kerala. He received many awards and honors including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Kalamandalam fellowsip (2020), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2011), Kumar Gandharva Fellowship of Government of India and HRD Senior Fellowship instituted by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.

Early life Ramachandran Pillai was born on 21 March 1949 to Shankaran Nair and Chellamma in Inchakattu Kothamballil house in Sasthamcotta of present-day Kollam district of Kerala. He studied at J.M.C.S. Bharanikavu School till the 7th standard and at N.R.P.M. Pullukula school till the 10th standard.

Pillai started his Kathakali studies from Keerikattu Karuta Shankara Pillai (the teacher of Mankulam Vishnu Namboothiri) and made his debut as Rukmini in Sundariswayamvaram Kathakali in the same year. He also added that he intends to perform his last performance at the Subhananda Ashram in Mavelikkara on 23 April 2023 and that he plans to remain at the ashram and lead a monastic life thereafter. In 2020, he received the Kerala Kalamandalam fellowsip. In 2021, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the government of India. He received many other awards and fellowships including the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, Kumar Gandharva Fellowship of Government of India, HRD Senior Fellowship instituted by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.