Kavalam Narayana Panicker, Indian dramatist, theatre director and poet, Died at 88

  Writers

Kavalam Narayana Panicker was born on April 28, 1928, and died on June 26, 2016.

He was an Indian dramatist, theatre director and poet.

Kavalam Narayana Panicker has written over 26 Malayalam plays, many adapted from classical Sanskrit drama and Shakespeare, notably Madhyamavyayogam (1979), Kalidasa’s Vikramorvasiyam (1981, 1996), Shakuntalam (1982), Karnabharam (1984, 2001), Bhasa’s Uru Bhangam (1988), Swapnavasavadattam and Dootavakyam (1996).

Kavalam Narayana Panicker was the founder, and director of theatre troupe, Sopanam, which led to the foundation of Bhashabharati: Centre for Performing Arts, Training and Research, in Trivandrum.

Panicker was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Direction in 1983 by Sangeet Natak Akademi, and its highest award for lifetime achievement, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2002.

During 2007, Panicker was awarded the Padma Bhushan in the field of Arts, by the Government of India.

Panicker was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1983 and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan civilian decoration in 2007.

Panicker has won Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics twice, in 1978 for Vadakakkoru Hridayam and in 1982 for Marmaram, and the Kalidas Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in (1994–1995).

Kavalam Narayana Panicker passed away at 88 yrs old.