THRISSUR: At kalolsavams over the years, there has been one individual who has stamped his strong and inspiring presence on the ottan thullal competition. After retiring from the police force, Manalur Gopinathan has devoted his entire life to thullal, one of Kerala’s most vibrant and traditional temple art forms.
This year, too, he is active along with his disciples, two of whom – Adhithyan, a Class 10 student of St Joseph’s School, Pavaratty, and Heera, a Plus-I student of PBMGHSS, Kodungallur-Mathilakam – are part of the competition. Along with the performances of his wards, the presence, guidance, and encouragement of their guru add a special brilliance to the stage.
Even during his service as a police officer, Manalur stood apart with his deep passion for thullal. After retirement, he dedicated his life to the study, practice, and teaching of temple arts. He is a respected guru with numerous disciples not only across Kerala, but in other parts of India and abroad.
In addition to being a teacher, he is an accomplished thullal performer who continues to actively grace stages. With the aim of introducing the performance art to the younger generation, Manalur has performed at nearly 100 venues in schools and colleges for free – a cultural outreach initiative that he sustains.
In 2018, he invested a large portion of his retirement benefits to establish a thullal kalari near his residence in Manalur. Every year, around 30 children receive structured and disciplined training at the centre, with emphasis on traditional aesthetics and classical technique.
It is the dedication of gurus like him – who build a bridge between tradition and the enthusiasm of the younger generation – that keeps art forms such as thullal alive and relevant. Manalur truly embodies a rare blend: The discipline of a police officer and the devotion of a true artist.