User:Rajeev kakkat/G Venu

G Venu, also known as Gopal Venu or Gopalan Nair Venu, born in 1945, is a performer, teacher and scholar of Kutiyattam and a senior disciple of Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar. He is also the founder of Natanakairali (Research and Performing Centre for Traditional Arts) and the Kulapathy of Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam (Training Centre for Kutiyattam). His major contributions to Kutiyattam are the adaptations of Mahakavi Kalidasa’s plays Abhijnana Sakuntalam and Vikramorvaseeyam and Bhasa’s play Urubhangam for Kutiyattam. He has to his credit 15 books on the performing arts of Kerala, including 'Production of a Play in Kutiyattam' (1989), 'Into the World of Kutiyattam', 'Kathakali, Kutiyattam and other Performing Arts (2005)' and 'Language of Kathakali'.

G.Venu has also worked for the revival of Kerala Puppetry forms including Pavakathakali and Tolpavakoothu. He has done extensive research to reinstate the glory of Pavakathakali as one of the foremost puppet theatres in India. He has also participated in several National and International seminars and discussions on puppetry. He has written several articles and monographs on puppetry which include Puppetry and Lesser Known Dance Traditions of Kerala (1990) and Tolpavakoothu (1990).

Venu is also a visiting Master Teacher of Kutiyattam at the National School of Drama in Delhi as well as ITI – Inter-cultural Theatre Institute in Singapore.

Awards

 * Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
 * Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award
 * Kerala Kalamandalam (Deemed University for Arts and Culture) Award
 * Painkulam Rama Chakyar Smaraka Puraskaram 2009
 * Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture (Japan) 2007

Publications

 * Alphabet of gestures in Kathakali - 1968
 * Kathakaliyile Kaimudrakal - 1977
 * Mohiniyattam - A bi-lingual publication in english and malayalam co-authored by Nirmala Paniker - 1983
 * Mudras in Kathakali (English) - 1984
 * Production of a play n Kutiyattam - 1989
 * Kathakali Mudra Nighandu(Malayalam) 1994, 2005
 * Mohiniyattam - The Lasya Dance - co-authored with Nirmala Paniker - 1995
 * Puppetry and Lesser Known Dance Traditions of Kerala - 1990
 * The Language of Kathakali - 2000
 * Into the World of Kutiyattam with the Legendary Ammannur Madhava Chakyar - 2002
 * Mohiniyattam Aattaprakaravum Mudrakalum (Malayalam) - co-authored by Nirmala Paniker - 2004
 * Kathakali, Kutiyattam and other Performing Arts - 2005
 * Notations for 'Handgestures of Hastalakshanadeepika in Mohiniyattam(bi-lingual publication in english and Malayalam) authored by Nirmala Paniker - 2007
 * Ramayana Samkshepam ( bi-lingual pulication in english and malayalam) - 2014