Kathakali artiste Parassini Kunhiraman Nair, Nangiarkoothu exponent Sarojini Nangiar, puppetry artiste K.K. Ramachandra Pulavar and Kalaripayattu expert S.R.D. Prasad are among those who have won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2015.
Parassini Kunhiraman Nair, who would turn 83 years on May 3, is one of the last links to the Kadathanadan style of Kathakali. Beginning as a discipline of Kadathanatt Kochugovindan Nair in 1944-45, Kunhiraman Nair went on to don the roles of Keechaka, Parasurama and Hanuman in his own unique style, learning tips in acting from veterans Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Vellinezhi Nanu Nair, and Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair.
Ramachandra Pulavar, who will turn 57 years next month, is the son of Krishnan Kutty Pulavar, one of the best remembered Tholpava Koothu (shadow puppetry) exponents in the State. Sarojini Nangiar is one of the senior-most exponents of Nangiarkoothu in the State. S.R.D. Prasad, son of Chirakkal T. Sreedharan Nair, a legendary trainer of a whole generation of Kalaripayattu in north Malabar and documented the chants that accompanies the movements in the martial arts form in his book Kalaripayatt , has been working to keep up the tradition.
The Akademi has also selected Kalamandalam Thulasi (Kathakali) for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of 2015. The Akademi awards carry a purse of Rs.1 lakh, a tamrapatra, and an angavastram.
The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar carries a cash prize of Rs.25,000. The Akademi awards would be presented by the president and the Ustad Bismillah Khan Awards by the chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi at special ceremonies.
