Vasu Pisharody

Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody (15 August 1943 – 1 December 2022) was an Indian Kathakali actor known for his classical dance-drama of Kerala. A frontline disciple of Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, he excelled in virtuous , anti-hero Kathi and the semi-realistic minukku roles alike. Nalan, Bahukan, Arjunan, Bhiman, Dharmaputrar, Rugmangadan, Narakaasuran, Ravanan, Parashuraman and Brahmanan were his masterpieces. His primary education is up to 7th. After schooling, he had his primary Kathakali lessons under Balakrishnan Nair at Kerala Kalalayam in Ottapalam. He learned Kathakali after his 7th in Kerala Kalalayam, for one year.

Awards

Vasu Pisharody is a winner of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award.

Veerashrinkhala from Kongad. Awards from several Kathakali clubs. Kerala Kalamandalam Award in 1998. Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship in 2020 Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 2003 Fellowship from Central Human Resources Development Ministry. Kerala Kalamandalam Fellowship. Shri Pattikkamthodi Puraskar - Kerala Kalamandalam. Shri Pattikkamthodi Puraskar - Gandhi Seva Sadan. Olappamanna Devi Puraskar. Kalamandalam Krishnan Kutty Podhuval Puraskar. Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair Kalyanikkuty Amma Puraskar. Puraskar from "Sarggam" Kongad.

Later years An ailment forced him to take a break from Kathakali in 2005, but his health improved again. He made a comeback to the stage by the end of March 2009 at the Thirumandhamkunnu temple in his village of Kongad.