Kalanilayam Balakrishnan

Kalanilayam Balakrishnan (also known as Kochu Balan and Balasan) is a well-known actor-dancer, scholar and a popular teacher of Kathakali, a unique theatre-dance of Kerala in South India. In 1965 at the age of 13, Balakrishnan began his Kathakali training at the famous Unnayi Warrier Smaraka Kalanilayam at Irinjalakkuda in Thrissur district of Kerala. He has received best traditional Kathakali training from grand masters such as Palluppuram Gopalan Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Kuttan, Kalanilayam Raghavan etc. Several years of his intensive regular practices with the rigorous training and deep interests, love to learn and listen properly from the grand masters of Kathakali supported to develop his wide range capacity to work with any character roles of Kathakali for the stage performances and also made his excellency as a very prominent teacher who respect the old repertories of Kathakali plays in its each details to teach the up-coming generations of Kathakali actors with passion and dedication. Since 1982, he has been serving as the principal teacher with Sadanam Kathakali Academy in Kerala. He is a recipient of the first Pattikkamthodi Smaraka Puraskaram Award.