Prof. B. Ananthakrishnan

Prof B Ananthakrishnan is appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam. Dr. Ananthakrishnan is the Professor and Head, Department of Theatre Arts, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and brings a wealth of expertise. He holds an MA in Drama and Theatre Arts from Pondicherry Central University and a Ph.D. in Contemporary Malayalam Theatre from the University of Madras.

Prof. Ananthakrishnan is currently the Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Hyderabad. He has been working there in various positions for the last 23 years.

Hailing from Sasthamkotta in Kollam district, he has served as executive committee member of the International Federation for Theatre Research. He is the founder and first general secretary of the Indian Society for Theatre Research.

Specialising in Indian performance studies, he has published articles on Indian theatre in many national and international journals. He has contributed to various anthologies and encyclopedias such as the Encyclopedia of Asian Theatre. He has presented papers in various universities in the country and abroad.

He’s also a researcher in performance and folklore, with previous affiliations at St. Xavier’s College and the University of Calicut. Since 2000, he’s been associated with the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad.

His contributions extend globally as an executive committee member of The International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) and founder general secretary of Indian Society of Theatre Research (ISTR).

Prof. Ananthakrishnan’s passion for Indian performance studies is evident in his publications in journals like Theatre India and Theatre Research International, as well as his contributions to encyclopaedias like the Encyclopaedia of Asian Theatre.

Kerala Kalamandalam is a Deemed University located in Thrissur district. It is a premiere public institution in the country for the preservation and promotion of Kerala’s traditional performing arts. Since its inception, it has been a beehive of activities attracting artists, art-scholars, historians, theatre-artists/directors, choreographers and art-lovers from all over the world.