Appunni Tharakan
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Nambiarath Appunni Tharakan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 3 August 1928 |
| Died | 23 January 2025 (aged 96) |
| Occupation | Kathakali makeup artist |
| Spouse | Parvathy |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Kunjan Tharakan Kutty Pennamma |
Nambiarath Appunni Tharakan (23 August 1928 – 23 January 2025) was an Indian Kathakali artist from Kerala. He worked as Uduthukettal (Make up, dressing and costume of Kathakali performer) expert at aniyara (behind the curtains) of Kathakali. Tharakan received several awards including Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, Kerala Kalamandalam Award for Best Kathakali Aniyara Artist and Kerala Kalamandalam Mukundaraja Award.
Nambiarath Appunni Tharakan was born on 3 August 1928, at Mangod near Cherpulassery in present-day Palakkad district, to Kunjan Tharakan and Kutty Pennamma.[1] He dropped out of his education halfway and went to the Vazhengada temple to earn a living.[2] He learned the Uduthukettal from well known Kathakali artist Pambath Sankaran, also known as Kollankode Sankaran, the husband of his sister Kunjimalu Amma.[1] He started his career at the Olappamanna Mana at the age of fourteen.[1] He began working independently at the age of eighteen.[2]
He became a permanent employee of the Kerala Kalamandalam at the age of 50 and retired in 1984.[1] He got a job as Aniyarakkaran (behind the curtain artist) in Kalamandalam with the help of poet Olappamanna Subramanian Namboodiripad who was the president of Kalamandalam at that time.[3] Until then, the post of Aniyarakkaran was not in the Kalamandalam.[3] He was also main Aniyara artist of the Kottayam PSV Natyasangham, the Iringalakuda Unnai Warrier Memorial Kalanilayam and the Perur Sadanam Kathakali Academy.[1] Since the inception of the Kerala State School Kalothsavam in 1953, Appunni Tharakan has been preparing school children for 55 consecutive years.[3][4]