Kalamandalam Kuttan Asan

Kalamandalam Kuttan Asan (also spelled as Kalamandalam Kuttanasan, 1938 – 13 January 2022) was an Indian Kathakali artiste from Kerala. He was known as Dakshan Kuttan as he was popular in the role of Daksha. He received awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2008 and Kerala State Kathakali Award 2019.

Biography Kuttan Asan was born in 1938 to Kuttappa Panikar and wife Ammukuttyamma at Adakkaputhur in Cherpulassery, Palakkad district. After completing his diploma in Kerala Kalamandalam in 1951 under Kalamandalam Ramankutty Asan and Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair, Kuttanasan made his debut in 1951 at the Vellinezhi Kanthalloor Temple. In Kathakali, Kuttan Asan excelled in Pacha and Kathi roles, as well as in Kattalan, Brahmin, Balabhadra and Roudrabhima roles. For forty years he performed the role of Vibhishana in Sreerama Pattabhikam (consecration of Lord Rama) kathakali on the stage at the Koodalmanikyam temple festival. Kerala State Kathakali Award 2019 Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair Award, 2010 Kalamandalam Pattikamthodi Ramunnimenon Award, 2011 Unnayivaryar Award, 2011 Visakhapatnam Nataraja Dance Music Academy Natyasree Award, 2002 Thrissur Kathakali Club Award, 2000 Vellinezhi Panchayat Gramakala Award, 2015 Kerala Kalamandalam Fellowship, 2019