Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval
Encyclopedia
Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval (1924-1992) was a self-taught maestro of Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...

 percussion who excelled in the art of chenda
Chenda
The Chenda is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the state of Kerala, and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka State in India. In Tulu Nadu it is known as Chande....

 playing by redefining its aesthetics as an audio accompaniment for the classical dance-drama from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 in south India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Poduval, who was born in the Kathakali village of Vellinezhi
Vellinezhi
Vellinezhi is a small but culturally crucial village located in Palakkad district of Kerala in southern India. The sylvan, rugged land is located on the banks of the Kunti, a slender rivulet that forms tributary to the broad, west-flowing Bharatapuzha that criss-crosses central Kerala in southern...

 in Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...

 district, was groomed in chenda playing by legendary Moothamana Kesavan Namboodiri and Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon
Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon
Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon was a pivotal figure in the history of Kathakali, having played a crucial role in remoulding and refining its grammar in the famed Kalluvazhi tradition of the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India...

, in whose classrooms he underwent training in playing the percussion instrument. He had earlier received basic training in chenda under Chamrankulangara Appu Marar.

Poduval has been credited with lending audio support on the chenda to emotional scenes on the Kathakali stage. His art, in tandem with the late maddalam maestro Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval
Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval
Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval was a maddalam maestro who rose to prominence by his aesthetically pleasing taps on the instrument—a vital percussion accompaniment for Kathakali, the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India...

, won wide appreciation from audiences. Together, they used to prop up the performance of the renowned master, Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...

 Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair
Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair
Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair is one of the most senior performers of Kathakali, having been a grand and sober presence on the art form's stage for a span of over seven decades...

.

Krishnankutty Poduval, a winner of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award, groomed several disciples at Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam , lately renamed as Kalamandalam Deemed University of Art and Culture, is a major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala. It is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in...

 from where he retired as professor in the late 1980s. They include Ayamkudi Kuttappa Marrar, Kalamandalam Krishnadas, and the late Kalamandalam Kesavan,.His main disciples are considered to be Ayamkudi Kuttappa Marrar and Kalamandalam Kesavan.

Krishnankutty Poduval, a mercurial genius, had more than once quit Kalamandalam following differences with its authorities. During such breaks, he used to also work with Gandhi Seva Sadan
Gandhi Seva Sadan
Gandhi Seva Sadan, or simply Sadanam, is a Kathakali institution located in Perur village, some 12 kilometres east of Ottapalam in Palakkad district of north-central Kerala in southern India. It was founded in 1953 by the Gandhian and freedom fighter K...

 Kathakali Akademi.

Poduval died on October 14, 1992, in an Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...

hospital following an acute liver problem.

In May 2008, his alma mater brought out a book "Melapperukkam" carrying the complete written works of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval.

Two of Poduval's sons are artistes in the field of Kathakali. Kalamandalam Mohanakrishnan is a musician, while Kalamandalam Vijayakrishnan is a chenda player.
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