Kathakali Dance-Theatre: A Visual Narrative of Sacred Indian Mime

K.K. Gopalakrishnan, a well-known writer-photographer and a connoisseur specialising in Kerala performing arts traditions, started writing for a host of periodicals like The Indian Express and The Mathrubhumi Weekly (Malayalam) at a very young age. In the past twenty-five years he has been writing mostly for The Hindu newspaper’s supplements such as their ‘Sunday Magazine’, ‘Literary Review’, various editions of the ‘Friday Review’ and ‘Sruti’ Magazine (Chennai). He is the honorary Editorial Associate of Hyderabad-based ‘Nartanam Quarterly’, the only English dance journal in India having global readership. Choosing to resign from his post as officer at State Bank of India to focus on art studies, since December 2010 he is serving as the Director of the Centre for Kutiyattam, Thiruvananthapuram, of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, the national academy of music, dance and drama under the Govt of India, Ministry of Culture. He is also the Governing Body member of the South Zone Cultural Centre of the Ministry of Culture for the support of South Indian cultural traditions and a member of the General Councils of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and Kerala Folklore Akademi (state academies for arts and culture). Popularly known as both KK and KKG in the Indian arts scenario, he is a significant source of information/reference for artists, scholars, media and research students including those from foreign countries.