Palakkad: Veteran Kathakali artiste and teacher Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody (79) passed away on Wednesday at his residence in Kongad, Palakkad. Pisharody was actively involved in Kathakali till 2005, but was forced to take a long break from performances because of illness in 2005.
Former vice principal of Kerala Kalamandalam, Pisharody headed the Vesham Department there. After retirement from Kalamandalam in 1999, he continued his strong presence in the field of Kathakali by enacting both hero and anti-hero roles with grace and elan, performing in 20 foreign countries.
Born in 1943 at Kongad near Palakkad, Pisharody learned Kathakali under Balakrishnan Nair at Kerala Kalanilayam at Ottapalam. For three years, he trained at P.S.V. Natyasangham, Kottakkal. A key disciple of Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, Pisharody joined Kerala Kalamandalam along with his guru. At Kalamandalam, he trained under Ramankutty Nair and Padmanabhan Nair. From 1979, for 20 years, he served as teacher at Kalamandalam.
He has bagged numerous honours, including Kerala Kalamandalam Award in 1998, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 2004, Kalamandalam Fellowship in 2010 and State Kathakali Award in 2012, among others.He is survived by wife Subhadra, daughter Sreekala, son Unnikrishnan and brothers MP Goplalakrishnan and MP Sukumaran. The funeral will take place at his house on Thursday afternoon.
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