he has written for films like Ulsavapittennu, Manjadikuru (2008), Vadakakkoru Hridayam (1978) and Marmaram (1982). He won Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics for the latter two films. In 1993 Erin B. Mee directed his play Ottayan in New York City. The Village Voice said: "the haunting pungency of a rich Asian folk-theatre tradition shines through every stylized gesture." Erin B. Mee devotes an entire chapter of her book Theatre of Roots to Panikkar's work. His work is also the subject of the volume K.N. Panikkar: The Theatre of Rasa edited by Udayan Vajpeyi. His play Aramba Chekkan is included in Drama Contemporary: India, edited by Erin B. Mee and Erin B. Mee conducted an interview with him for PAJ magazine and his work is the subject of an interview by Erin B. Mee in Seagull Theatre Quarterly: 1995 "The Use of Folk Philosophy in Kavalam Narayana Panikkar's Poetic Theatre of Transformation." Seagull Theatre Quarterly 7:58-62. He has remained a consultant at Asianet Communications and vice-chairman for Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. Personal life He was married and had two sons. He lived in Thiruvananthapuram with his wife Saradamani and also had another house in his native village of Kavalam. He had two sons Kavalam Harikrishnan and Kavalam Sreekumar. Kavalam Harikrishnan served as BHASABHARATHI's Chief contact person before he died of cancer in October 2009. His younger son Kavalam Sreekumar, is a singer in Kerala. Sreekumar sang folk and light music numbers over three decades. He also sang for Malayalam films over the years. Awards and recognition He was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1983 and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan civilian decoration in 2007. He received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship in 2000. He has won Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics twice, in 1978 for Vadakakkoru Hridayam and in 1982 for Marmaram, and the Kalidas Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in (1994–1995). Other 2013 – TTK Prestige-Vanitha Film Awards – Best Lyricist – Amen Best Male Singer 2013 – Asiavision Awards – Best Lyricist Works The Right to rule (Kōyma) ; and, The domain of the sun (Sūryasthāna). Seagull Books, 1989. . Folklore of Kerala. National Book Trust, India, 1991. Karimkutty ; and, The lone tusker. Seagull Books, 1991. . References Bibliography Mee, Erin B. 2008 Theatre of Roots: Redirecting the Modern Indian Stage. Seagull Books. Mee,