Yester years Kadhaprasangam winner in State Youth Festivals, M R Shah cannot hold himself back when Kadhaprasangam is staged. A native of Kumbalam, presently a school teacher, Shah resides at Sahithi Sadanam. At the youth festival, he is in-charge of organising food for the contestants.

His first victory in Kadhaprasangam was at the 1988 State Youth Festival held in Kollam. In the year 1987, Shah procured A grade in Kadhaprasangam, and in 1988, he defeated K B Ajith Kumar who was named the Kalaprathibha that year. Shah represented Kuzhimathicadu Govt High School and narrated the story 'Patmavyooham' on stage. 

"I participated because I love the art, Kadhaprasangam. I didn't take part only to compete. Even now, I can't hold myself back from attending when I know that Kadhaprasangam is on stage," Shah said. 

"After high school, I was forced to give up my passion as my knee pain turned chronic and the depreciation on my hip bones didn't let me stand and conduct Kadhaprasangam. I had to undergo a surgery. To add to the misery, I lost my father during this time. Financial crisis stood in the way of following my passion from then. Hence my Kadhaprasangam journey ended abruptly," he added.

Shah lives in Kumbalam which is only a lake apart from the place, Thekkumbhagam which is the land of the Chancellor of Kadhaprasangam, V Sambasivan. After getting employed as a teacher, Shah turned his passion for Kadhaprasangam to announcements in the venue during Youth Festivals. His announcements in Malayalam excluding English words made it unique.

He names 'Mike point' as 'chollidam' and 'announcement' as 'chollal'. He is happy that the Kadhaprasangam career that turned incomplete is justified through the announcements at the festival.

Reena Kumari who is a teacher at Kannur Alakode Government High School is his wife. They are blessed with 2 children, M Arsha and Adya Maria Shah. Both of them are students.