Kalanilayam Gopinathan

🪔 About

Kalanilayam Gopinathan was a renowned Indian Kathakali artist, born on May 29, 1967, to Palakkad Vellinezhi Njalamkurussi Pulakkal Narayanan and Sarojini Amma. He began his Kathakali training during his school days under Kalamandalam KG Vasudevan. At the age of 14, he enrolled as a student at the Unnayi Warrier Smaraka Kalanilayam in Irinjalakuda. His teachers at Kalanilayam included Kalamandalam Kuttan, Kalanilayam Raghavan, Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan, and Kalanilayam Gopi. After completing nearly a decade of studies at the institution, Gopinathan joined the Unnayi Warrier Smaraka Kalanilayam as a teacher, dedicating his career to the art form. He was recognized for his contributions to Kathakali and was selected for the prestigious Kalamandalam award for the best Kathakali actor shortly before his passing. Kalanilayam Gopinathan died on October 26, 2022, at the age of 55, in a private hospital in Kochi, following a period of illness. He is survived by his wife, Kalamandalam Prasheeja, a noted Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi dancer, and their two sons, Harikrishnan and Yadukrishnan, both of whom have also pursued Kathakali. Awards & Honours: Kalamandalam award for best Kathakali actor (2022), Thiruvananthapuram Navarasam Sangeetha Sabha award, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair memorial award.