Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri

Biography My venture in Koodiyattam was accidental, says Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri, It happened thanks to Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair and my guru, late Painkulam Raman Chakyar He had his early schooling at Kanayam and Vadanamkurissi, but, being a poor student, had to drop out of school at Grade 7. He joined Kerala Kalamandalam, in 1965, at the age of 14, to learn Kathakali.

During that period, the renowned Koodiyattam maestro, Painkulam Raman Chakyar, was in the process of setting up the Koodiyattam department at Kalamandalam and, on the insistence of Vallathol Narayana Menon, the founder of the institute, and K. N. Pisharody, Sivan changed his course to study Koodiyattam, as one of the two students of the first batch of Koodiyattam.

He also performed in Germany at the Cologne Festival in 1980.

Legacy Sivan Namboodiri was the first artist from outside the chakyar community to perform Koodiyattam. He is also considered as the first person to learn Koodiyattam in an institutional way; till his entry, Koodiyattam was taught under the gurukula system. Another first attributed to Sivan Namboodiri is that he was the first male to perform Nangyar Koothu which was the domain of nangiars, the ladies from Nambiar community. He is also credited with revolutionizing the Koodiyattam costumes and accompanying music.

Awards and recognitions 2007 He Got Sangeet Natak academy award for Kutiyattam Padma Shri - 2012 Margi Gold Medal for Best Young Koodiyattam Performer - 1971