THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KAVALAM Narayana Panicker, the master playwright and poet who set a new direction for the theatre movement in the country, died here on Sunday. He was 88. He had been keeping unwell for sometime now. The final moments came at his residence at Thrikkanapuram, near Tirumala, here around 10 pm.
Through his modernist concepts, Narayana Panicker reformed theatre and gave rise to the ‘thanathu nataka vedi,’ distinguished by interactive and progressive elements. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital here but was shifted to his residence a week ago. The cremation will be held at 4.30 pm on Tuesday at Kavalam in Kuttanad, his native place, with full state honours. He is survived by wife Saradamani and son and playback singer Kavalam Sreekumar. Another son Harikrishnan had died earlier. Born on April 28, 1928, Narayana Panicker was initiated to the world of letters by his father Godavarma. The rustic lifestyle of agricultural Kuttanad provided an ideal setting for artistic talents and vision.
In a career spanning over five decades, Panicker gave fresh life for the age-old Sanskrit drama tradition on the one hand, and on the other, he identified the inter-relations between the evolved art forms and folk arts.
After his schooling in Kavalam and Pulinkunnu, he joined the CMS college in Kottayam. He graduated in Economics from SD College, Alappuzha and later the Madras Law College for his law degree.His first breakthrough came when he was appointed secretary of Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi in 1961 and shifted his base to Thrissur.
During his tenure there, he organised festivals, which gave him more insights into the rich culture of the state and its indigenous folk traditions. He started his research in the folk and classical arts, which ultimately ensured his entry into theatre. With the production of “Daivathar” came a real turning point as a playwright.
In 1974, Kavalam moved to Thiruvananthapuram. A highlight of the period was the staging of ‘Avanavan Kadamba’, directed by G Aravindan.
The structure of the play and its presentation were truly pathbreaking. The theme demanded an open auditorium with trees in the background having hanging lamps. The acting area started growing beyond its prescribed limits, creating a sense of involvement and participation among the audience. Aravindan made his play ‘Avanavan Kadamba’ a film.
As a director, a big breakthrough came in 1978 when he was offered a chance to produce and present Bhasa’s ‘Madhyama Vyayogam’, at the Kalidas Samaroh in Ujjain. He has also presented Bhasa’s Sanskrit play “Dhootavakyam’’ using artists from Madhya Pradesh. Kavalam has said that it was a great experience for him as well as the artists on the practical implementation of the techniques of ‘Natya Sastra’.
Later, at the National School of Drama, he produced and directed plays in Sanskrit and Hindi creating a ‘theatre language spanning the barriers of language.
His staging of ‘Mathavilasom’ of Mahendra Vikrama Varman, Bhasa’s two plays - Pratijna Yogantharayanam and Swapnavasavadatham, require special mention.His first Malayalam play was Sakshi and Kalivesham being the latest. Many noted Malayalam film and theatre personalities like Bharat Gopi, Narendra Prasad, Murali, Nedumudi Venu, Gopakumar, Aliyar and several others have also been part of his theatre.
His creations, though experimental and non-conformist feature using non-realistic tools, have themes in close proximity to real life, its anxieties, struggles and confusion, point out art critics and theatre personalities.
As a lyricist, Panicker has worked in nearly 40 films. They include National award winning Manjadikkuru, Ulsava pittennu, Marmaram and Vadakaikoru Hridayam.He had won Sangeet Natak Academi Award way back in 1983.