Kathakali maestro Mathoor Govindan Kutty died here on Thursday following a brief illness. He was 81. He is survived by two sons, Unnikrishnan and Murali Krishnan.
Relatives said the artiste had been undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College, Kottayam, for COVID-19.
A resident of Kudamaloor, near Kottayam, he had over six-decade-long career as an artiste. He was famous for the female characters he portrayed on stage. Born in the Mathoor family in Nedumudy village, Alappuzha, he was drawn to Kathakali and started training at the age of 14. He won the Kerala State Award for the best Kathakali artiste in 2011.
He received initial training from Nedumudy Kuttappa Panicker and subsequently studied under Kurissi Kunjan Panicker and Ambalappuzha Shekharan etc.
Under the renowned Kathakali artiste Kudamaloor Kurunakaran Nair, he specialised in the portrayal of female characters. \
After marrying Rajeswari, the daughter of his master, he relocated to Kudamaloor in Kottayam. He portrayed female leads in performances along with Kalamandalam Gopi, Mankulam Vishnu Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, and other prominent artists.
His wife predeceased him. He was cremated with State honours on the premises of his younger son’s residence on Thursday evening.
