Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair

🪔 About

Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, affectionately known as Guru Chemancheri, was a legendary Indian Kathakali maestro, performer, and teacher, born on June 26, 1916, in Cheliya, Malabar District, Madras Presidency (present-day Kozhikode district, Kerala, India). His early life was marked by hardship, losing his mother at the age of three and his father at thirteen. At fifteen, driven by an innate passion for performing arts, he left home to pursue Kathakali, joining the Radhakrishna Kathakali Yogam in Meppayur. Nair received extensive Kathakali training under esteemed Gurus such as Karunakara Menon, Ambu Panicker, Katathanad Ramunni Nair, and Matasseri Kochugovindan Nair, specializing in the Kallatikkotan style. He also broadened his artistic repertoire by studying Bharatanatyam under Kalamandalam Madhavan Nair, Salem Rajaratnam Pillai, and Balachandra Bhai of Madras. His stage debut as Panchali in Kiratam in 1931 marked the beginning of a performing career that spanned over eighty years. He was particularly celebrated for his portrayal of Lord Krishna in 'Santhanagopalam' and other heroic characters, performing the role of Krishna over a thousand times. Beyond performing, Guru Chemancheri was a dedicated educator. He founded the Bharateeya Natya Kalalayam in Kannur in 1945, which was the first dance school in North Kerala, and later its branch in Thalassery. In 1979, he established Pookkad Kalalayam, and in 1983, he founded the Cheliya Kathakali Vidyalayam in his native village, dedicated exclusively to Kathakali training. He also collaborated with Guru Gopinath to develop Kerala Natanam, a government-recognized dance form. Throughout his life, he trained hundreds of students, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of Indian classical dance. Guru Chemancheri passed away on March 15, 2021, at the age of 104/105, in Cheliya, Kozhikode district. Awards & Honours: Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (1979), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship (1999), Award for special contributions to art (2001), Darpanam Natyakulapathi award (2002), Visishta Kala Seva Award (2002), Kalaratnam Award (2009), Mayilpeeli award, Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Award, Padma Shri (2017).