Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri


Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri or Nelliyod Vasudevan Namboodiri is a Kathakali artiste, noted primarily for his vibrant portrayal of the evil chuvanna thaadi roles of the classical Kathakali dance-drama from Kerala in south India.

Career

Nelliyode was born in 1940 in Cheranalloor in Ernakulam district. He joined the PSV Natyasangham in Kottakkal in 1957 and received training in Kathakali largely under Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair of the tradition. After a teaching stint in Kerala Kalamandalam, he joined as a Kathakali teacher at the Central High School in Thiruvananthapuram. Nelliyode lives in Poojappura near Thiruvananthapuram.

Awards

Nelliyode has received awards from the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. He has also received Rigatta's 'Natyaratna' title and gold medal in 1976, Thulaseevana award in 1988, Kalamandalam award, Central Government Fellowship, and Onamthuruth temple's 'Natyavisarad' title and the Kerala State Kathakali Prize for 2013.

Repertoire

In Kathakali, Nelliyode is primarily famous for his playing cruel characters like Kali, Trigartan, Dushasanan, Bakan, and Veerabhadran. He also excels in pious roles like Kuchelan besides demonic kari roles such as Nakrathundi, Simhika, Soorpanakha, Lanka Lakshmi, and the black-bearded Kaatalan. Possessing deep knowledge in Sanskrit and the Hindu Puranas, Nelliyode is also capable of presenting Patakam, a classical temple art requiring skills in oratory, and has played the role of the Fool in a production of King Lear.

Significance

Nelliyode is regarded as the leading player of the destructive ‘tamasic’ characters in Kathakali. He has presented a deeper interpretation of these characters and emphasised their central role in the plays.