About Kalanilayam

Our History

It was in 1963, that Shri Kalanilayam Krishnan Nair, revolutionised the hitherto concept of dramas and introduced the very novel idea of a permanent stage in Putharikandam Maidan, Thiruvananthapuram which was inaugurated by the late Mannath Padmanabhan. The drama lovers accepted the new experiment, that provided a wonderful experience of witnessing dramas for months in the same venue continuously, with an open heart. There were more than 150 artists, mammoth costly sets which could change the visuals in splits of seconds, deafening thunder bolts and lightening followed by heavy down pour, huge waves, landing of aeroplanes, racing of cars, beautiful cascades, all these and many more were the unique features of Kalanilayam.

Dramas like Guruvayoorappan, Kayamkulam Kochunni, Kadamattath Kathanar, Naradan Keralathil, Jesus Christ, Alaudinum Albuthavilakkum, etc made audience wonderstruck. The dramas created by him which numbered more than 50 , were hits inside and outside Kerala. Kalanilayam staged the dramas even in the nook and corner of Kerala for months. In those days even cinemas failed before Kalanilayam Dramas in technical perfections.

It was in 1974, that Kalanilayam Krishnan Nair created the one and only wonder in Indian theatre , Raktharakshas. People were horrified to see the blood churning scenes infront of them. The Presentation style, the story, the music and the technology were all par excellence. Wherever Raktharakshan was staged, it was a crowd puller.

His wife Kodungallur Ammini Amma whose natural way of acting was appreciated by many, also toiled along with him for the success of Kalanilayam dramas.

In 1980, the visionary and the pioneer of dramas, Shri Kalanilayam Krishnan Nair passed away and thereby putting a partial stop in the saga of Kalanilayam dramas.

Return of the phoenix

It took some years for his son Ananda Padmanabhan to restart Kalanilayam Dramas. In 2003 along with the legendary actor Sri. Jagathy Sreekumar, whose father, Sri. Jagathy N.K. Achari, scripted almost all the dramas of Kalanilayam, Ananda Padmanabhan revived the dramas by starting Kalanilayam Drama vision. Inspite of all the challenges posed by the modern times, people irrespective of age differences thronged to see the wonder on stage.

He initially staged Raktharakshass, soon followed by Kadamattath Kathanar, Kayamkulam Kochunni and Naradan Keralathil. The dramas proved to be highly perfect in the aspects of technology to suit the demands of the new generation. People welcomed the dramas which were filled with dazzling scenes, musical extravagance and theatrical excellence. Ananda Padmanabhan was able to provide a means of existence to more than hundreds of people which included artists, technicians, skilled and unskilled labourers.

Kalanilayam across the country

Raktharakshas was remade in Tamil as ‘Rara Rakshasarathri’ and staged in Coimbatore and Chennai in 2009. The appreciation that he received for his dramas in Tamil Nadu proved that art has no language and barriers.

Period of Crisis

Kalanilayam dramas were going through a period of crisis. The shortage of ground to stage the dramas, the monetary setback due to the high expense and even the climatic changes affected the smooth running of Kalanilayam. Though he faced all the challenges, Ananda Padmanabhan continued staging the dramas for more than ten years. It was a crucial point for Kalanilayam Dramas when Sri Jagathy Sreekumar met with a serious car accident in 2012. Ananda Padmanabhan didn’t hesitate to stop the running of theatre for a short while and started thinking differently to start a new venture to meet the challenges of modern times and that paved the starting of Kalanilayam Stage Craft in 2015.

Hidimbi - an arrow from the past

Ananda Padmanabhan has introduced a new stream in theatre, under Kalanilayam Stage Craft, which is sure to suit all theatre lovers world wide. The new creation titled ‘Hidimbi – an Arrow from the Past’, introduces powerful acting skills with technological advancements. The people behind Hidimbi vouch for a new audience experience with the help of stage craft. Through Hidimbi, for the first time in the history of theatre, Kalanilayam has come out with a brand new genre of entertainment, where story telling, song and dance meet stage craft and technical wizardly like never seen before.

Hidimbi is a cinematic theatrical experience. The magic of cinema comes alive in a stunning, electrifying way on stage spectacle. The artistic lineage becomes explicit when Mrs. Gayathri Govind, grand daughter of Kalanilayam Krishnan Nair and Kodungallur Ammini Amma and daughter of Anandha Padmanabhan and Dr. Bindhu, who is an Assistant Professor in Amrita University, Coimbatore and a Mohiniyathem artist, started playing the role of Hidimbi.

Hidimbi was staged in Kollam, Thrissur, Irinjalakuda, Ernakulum, Chennai, Bangalore and Trivendrum. Kalanilayam’s theatrical journey, from past to future still continues with new productions mesmerizing their audiences.