Thiruvalla: He started learning Kathakali at the age of 77 and made his stage debut at 80—under the guidance of a 24-year-old teacher. Defying age and expectations, former Kerala Health Services Director Dr. PS Ramakrishnan recently performed Kathakali for the first time at the Sreevallabha Temple in Thiruvalla.

Apart from watching Kathakali performances during temple festivals in his childhood, Ramakrishnan had no formal connection with the classical art. After serving as superintendent in various government hospitals, he retired as Director of Health Services (DHS) in 1994. He later continued working in private hospitals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when his medical practice became limited to home consultations, he developed a deep interest in Kathakali.

Mastering Kathakali requires learning mudras and expressive eye movements. Ramakrishnan wondered who would teach him at this age. Eventually, he joined the Sree Vaishnavam Kathakali Yogam at Chooroor Math, near the Sreevallabha Temple. The institution functions under the guidance of Kalabharathi Harikumar. Ramakrishnan enrolled as a student under Harikumar’s daughter, Dhanya.

His classmates were children aged 6 to 8. He learned eye exercises and hand gestures. In his third year of training, he made his debut performance before Lord Sreevallabha in the Kathakali story Kuchelavritham, portraying the character of Kuchela.

Dhanya has won prizes in Kathakali at the MG University Youth Festival. She works as an Accounts Executive with an American company at Technopark and also trains special batches of Kathakali students at her father’s kalari.

A native of the Pantrandilchira family in Muttar, Alappuzha district, Dr. PS Ramakrishnan now lives in JP Nagar, Thiruvalla. He says that learning Kathakali was something he could never have imagined during his difficult childhood.

His father was a coconut-tree climber. Ramakrishnan’s dream is to remain healthy and continue performing Kathakali until he is at least 100 years old. His wife is N. Revamma. Their children are PR Shankar, Joint Labour Commissioner in Kollam, and PR Lakkimol.