Kottakkal Appu Namboothiri

🪔 About

Kottakkal Appu Namboothiri, a prominent figure in the Indian classical dance form of Kathakali, was born on July 19, 1943. His parents are P.P. Kesavan Namboothiri and Parvathi Antharjanam. He began his Kathakali training early in life, learning from the late Konnasseri Neelakandhan Namboothiri while still attending school. His debut performance took place in September 1960, where he portrayed the character of 'Krishnan' in the play 'Rugmini Swayamvaram'. After completing his SSLC, Namboothiri further honed his skills at the P.S.V. Natyasangham in Kottakkal, where he studied Kathakali under the tutelage of Kottakkal Krishnan Kutty Nair from 1961 to 1968. Throughout his career, he has become proficient in enacting a variety of roles, specializing in both "Pacha" characters such as Arjunan, Bheeman, Nalan, and Bahukan, and "Kathi" characters like Duryodhanan and Ravanan. Kottakkal Appu Namboothiri has performed alongside many celebrated artists, including Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Mankulam Vishnu Namboothiri, and Pallippuram Gopalan Nair. He is married to Sarada Devi and has a daughter, Bindu, and a son, Aji Kumar.