Kalamandalam Shiju Kumar

🪔 About

Kalamandalam Shiju Kumar is an Indian classical dance figure specializing in Kathakali, born on April 10 in Thachonam, a village in the Kollam district of Kerala. He underwent his Kathakali training at Kerala Kalamandalam from 1991 to 1997, studying under esteemed gurus such as Kalamandalam Rajasekharan, Kalamandalam Prasannakumar, and Kalamandalam Gopakumar. Shiju Kumar is recognized for his contributions as a performer, writer, and artistic director in the field of Kathakali. In 1997, he penned a new Kathakali story titled "EKALAVYACHARITHAM," which was subsequently performed at Kalamandalam and various other stages across Kerala. His creative endeavors extend to adapting Western and Chinese narratives into the Kathakali format; in 2005, he wrote "SUVARNA BAHUKAM," a Kathakali rendition of Shakespeare's Othello, and in 2007, he wrote and directed "SUNANDA GUNAPALAM," a Kathakali version of the Chinese love story "BUTTERFLY LOVER'S." He also wrote the script for a Koodiyattam documentary film for Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan in Trivandrum in 2004. Kalamandalam Shiju Kumar performs traditional Kathakali characters like Pacha, Kari, and Thadi throughout India. He has also taken his Kathakali performances internationally with his own group, visiting countries such as Taiwan, Germany, Austria, France, China, and Italy multiple times. His original works, "Ekalavyacharitham," "Butterfly Lovers," and "Othello," are noted as specialty performances of his group. Awards & Honours: VELLODY MEDAL, BEST POET (2004).