Kavalam Narayana Panikkar is one of
Kerala's most respected playwrights and theater directors, working closely with traditional forms. Founder-director of the Sopanam theater, Panikkar has written 26
Malayalam plays and translated many English and
Sanskrit classic plays into Malayalam. With the Sopanam troupe, he has participated at the Kalidasa Samaroh in
Ujjain, the Nandikar festival in
Kolkata and many other prominent festivals in India and abroad. Kalidasa Samman is a prestigious award he received from the
Madhya Pradesh Government.
'Madhyamavyayogam', Kalidasa's 'Vikramorvasiyam', 'Shakuntalam', 'Karnabharam', 'Uru Bhangam', 'Swapnavasavadattam' and 'Dootavakyam', 'Karinkutti', and 'Ottayan' are his famous works. His other achievements include the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, Kerala State Sahitya Institute Award, and Sangeet Nataka Academy Award.
