G. Venu

🪔 About

Gopalan Nair Venu, popularly known as G. Venu, is a highly acclaimed Koodiyattam and Kathakali exponent, choreographer, and research scholar from Kerala, India. Born on July 1, 1945, in Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, he began his Kathakali training at the age of eleven under Keerickattu Sankar Pillai. He pursued advanced studies with Guru Gopinath and refined his understanding of Kathakali mudras under Chengannur Raman Pillai. He was the first student to enroll at Viswakalakendram, Guru Gopinath's dance institute, in 1963. Venu's interest in Koodiyattam was sparked after witnessing a performance by Ammannur Madhava Chakyar. In 1977, he began studying Koodiyattam under the guidance of Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and Ammannur Parameswara Chakyar, a significant step as he was the first person from a caste lower than Chakyar to study the art form. He is also the first person from a non-Chakyar community to receive the Kerala Kalamandalam Fellowship for Koodiyattam, awarded in 2024. In 1975, Venu founded Natanakairali, an institution dedicated to performance, training, and research in traditional Kerala arts. In 1982, he established the Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam, a Koodiyattam school based on the Gurukula system. He is credited with developing a unique actor training methodology called 'Navarasa Sadhana,' which focuses on evoking emotions by controlling breath and has attracted students globally. Venu has also made significant contributions to the revival and documentation of rare traditional art forms in Kerala, including Pavakathakali, Tholppava Koothu, Kakkarissi Natakam, Padayani, and Mudiyettu. His extensive research on mudras led to the creation of a sophisticated dance notation system for Kerala's visual arts. His book, "Kathakaliyile Kai Mudrakal" (Hand Signs in Kathakali), was published in 1977 by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and later translated into English as "Mudras in Kathakali" by Natanakairali in 1984. He also co-authored "Into the World of Kutiyattam" with Ammannur Madhava Chakyar. Venu has taught at various institutions, including the School of Drama and Fine Arts under the University of Calicut, the National School of Drama, New Delhi, and the InterCultural Theatre Institute, Singapore. He is married to Nirmala Paniker, a Mohiniyattam artist and researcher, and their daughter, Kapila Venu, is also an accomplished Koodiyattam artist. Awards & Honours: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1977), Kerala Kalamandalam Award (2005), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2007), Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture (2007), Homi Bhabha Fellowship, DakshinaChitra Viruthu, Senior Fellowship (Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India), Dancers and Choreographers Association's Nritha Paramacharya Award (2022), Nruthya Pitamaha title from Urise Vedic Sangeetha Academy, Bangalore (2023), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2023), Kerala Kalamandalam Fellowship (2024), Vayosevana Award for Comprehensive Contribution (2024).