Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan

Sadanam Puthiyaveetil Balakrishnan is a Kathakali artist known as a performer, choreographer and teacher. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from Kerala ^[1].

Training

He was born on 15 January 1944 in Taliparamba, north Kerala, and began learning Kathakali as a child ^[2]. He then studied for ten years at the Gandhi Seva Sadan Kathakali Academy under the gurus Thekinkattil Ramunni Nair and Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, on a central government scholarship ^[2].

Delhi and beyond

In 1974 he joined the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi as its senior artist, and from 1980 to 2007 he was its principal and director ^[2]. Under him the centre won international recognition ^[2]. He has also taught or worked with institutions such as the National School of Drama, Delhi University, Visva-Bharati and SPIC MACAY ^[2]. After retiring he headed the Kathakali department at the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai as a visiting fellow ^[2].

Balakrishnan has written and choreographed more than 35 original Kathakali stories ^[2]. With support from the Ministry of Culture and the Sangeet Natak Akademi, he prepared a manual and syllabus for new Kathakali works and researched the northern style of the art ^[2].

Honours

He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004, an award and later a fellowship from Kerala Kalamandalam, and the Kerala state Kathakali award ^[2].