KALAMANDALAM RAMAN CHAKYAR
Akademi Award: Kutiyattam

Born in 1950 in Painkulam village in Kerala, Shri Raman Chakyar received his training in Kutiyattam under Gurus Painkulam Rama Chakyar, Kidangoor Rama Chakyar, and Ammannur Madhava Chakyar. He obtained his Post-Diploma certificate in Kuttiyattam from Kerala Kalamandalam in 1976.
Here, he also learnt to play the Mizhavu under Shri Chathakutam Krishnan Nambiar.

Over the years, Shri Raman Chakyar has established himself as a leading performer and teacher of Kutiyattam. His performances have been presented in major festivals within and outside the country, where he has received critical acclaim for his roles as Vidushaka and Athreya among others. An
important contribution he has made is the writing of an attaprakaram and kramdeepika for Bhasa’s Dootavakyam.

Shri Raman Chakyar has imparted training in Kutiyattam at a number of institutions including Kerala Kalamandalam, where he headed the Kutiyattam Department, at Anushthan Kala Abhyasana Kendra of Travancore, at Margi in Thiruvananthapuram, and at the State University of New York at
Stony Brook, USA, where he was a visiting professor. He has conducted workshops and participated in seminars on Kutiyattam at several universities in Europe and the United States. He has been filmed in documentaries on Kutiyattam produced in several countries. Among other honours, he received the
Kerala Kalamandalam Award (2007), and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2008).

Shri Kalamandalam Raman Chakyar receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Kutiyattam.