[Raj_Copi_Jin]

Kalamandalam Gangadharan:_
He is the first Kathakali musician to win the Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Akademy Award. His presence with chengila adds confidence to the actors on stage. Meet Kalamandalam Gangadharan, who was in the city recently.
Gangadharan a native of Oyyur near Kottarakkara, was initiated into music by uncle under Kadakkavur Velukkutti Nair.
“We had financial problems and so I joined Kerala Kalamandalam, where you need not pay any fee” said Gangadharan. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambeesan was his Guru. “If we have fairly good knowledge of classical music, it is an added advantage for learning Kathakali songs” he opined. “When I was doing my seventh year, Hyderali and Embranthiri joined Kalamandalam. I started taking classes when I was doing my final year. After completing the course I joined Kalamandalam as a tutor and served the institution for 30 years” he said.
Besides a good voice what qualities are expected from the Kathakali musician?
He has to be thorough with the stories, the various sambrathayams, the veshams, and you have to involve intimately with the kalari. You must be capable of bringing out the right bhava in the tone. Kottayam Kathakal has a strict kalarichitta. The tempo is slow. The music is highly technical. The term of the course for the veshakkaran and Kathakali musician are the same.
Has the singer freedom to change the tune of the padams?
Yes. Karnasapadam and Nalacharitham are examples. We never adhere to the ragas mentioned in the text. We propagated what Venkitakrishna Bhagavathar and Nambeesan Aasan had taught us. But I am sorry to say that one can identify a filmy touch in the Kathakali padams” he was concerned. He has served Margi as the visiting professor for years.