ALAPPUZHA: Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s introduction of Shakespeare and Kalidasa into Malayalam had paved the way for major changes on the state’s theatre scene. Kavalam’s works rewrote the conventions of contemporary drama and in the process helped to draw theatre lovers in droves in the mid 1960s and 70s. The agrarian life of Kavalam found depiction in almost all his works. His efforts to popularise theatre groups ushered in the entire drama movement of Communist Kerala.
Kavalam has written over 26 Malayalam plays, many adapted from classical Sanskrit dramas and Shakespeare, notably ‘Madhyamavyayoga’ (1979),Kalidasa’s ‘Vikramorvasiyam’ (1981,1996), ‘Shakuntalam’ (1982), ‘Karnabharam’ (1984, 2001), Bhasa’s ‘Uru Bhangam’ (1988),’ Swapnavasavadattam’ and ‘Dootavakyam’ (1996).
Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics twice, in 1978 for ‘Vadakakkoru Hridayam’ and in 1982 for ‘Marmaram’, and Kalidas Samman for (1994-1995) were among the very many laurels that came the titan’s way during an eventful life.