Ammannur is still following the 150-year-old tradition of theatre acting, and he believes that falls are important for an artist in order to grow in life.

Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar is a Kutiyattam practitioner at Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar Smaraka Madhava Mathrugramam, Irinjalakuda, Kerala.

Ammannur hails from Kerala and practises Kutiyattam, which is a Sanskrit theatre tradition in India. He started to train in this art form at the age of seven from his grand uncle, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan for this art. At the age of eleven, he made his first debut in Koothambalam, which is a traditional art performed in the temples of Kerala. Afterwards, he took lessons for fifteen years with a scholarship from the Central Sangeet Natak Academy.

Ammannur shares that this art form is a family tradition that is more than 150 years old, and his family members are also practising it.

Speaking about his journey, Ammannur says that he entered this field after his debut performance at the age of eleven. Then he started training to learn this art form for fifteen years, and at the age of 25, he became a professional artist in Kutiyattam. He performed nationally and internationally to spread the art and culture of Kerala.

When asked about his mistakes, Ammannur says that sometimes he makes mistakes that are related to his performance and is then guided as well as corrected by his gurus. He says we should make some mistakes in life to learn something new and grow.

Ammannur’s role model is his guru, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, and he also follows Mahatma Gandhi.

Ammannur’s other interest areas are to collect books and to interact with other artists of western culture. He also likes to watch cricket and hockey.

In his spare time, Ammannur likes to sit alone and spend time with nature in his village. He also likes to talk to his friends and share his feelings with them. He has read many books in English and Sanskrit and was also interested in learning other languages like German and Tamil. Sometimes he hears Hindustani music.

Ammannur pleads for respect for our culture and the traditions of India, as we must have integrity in our diversity. He requests the young generation to never forget our tradition and culture. He believes that youngsters are the vessels to accept the things that are given to them by our gurus in terms of culture.