
Acclaimed Ottamthullal dance artist Kalamandalam Geethanandan died on Sunday while he was performing on stage in Thrissur, Kerala.
58-year-old, Geethanandan was performing at Avittathur Mahavishnu temple in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur, when he collapsed on stage, though he was rushed to the hospital immediately but he could not be saved.
A video circulating on social media shows Geethanandan performing and later collapsing on stage.
Geethanandan hadretired as head of Thullal Department of Kalamandalam Deemed University of Art and Culture. He had beenperforming the dance form since the age of nine.
He had also performed over5,000 stages across the country.Geethanandan was also the first artist to perform Ottamthullal at Paris.
He debuted with Kamaladalam, Geethanandan and went on to actin several Malayalam films, like Thooval Kottaram, Manasinakkare, Narendran Magan Jayakanthan Vaga, Irattakuttikalude Achan among others.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan offered his condolences at the sudden death of the veteran artist.
Social media reacted almost immediately to his death.