Roshni Pillai

About the Artist

Roshni Pillai began her journey in Kathakali at the age of 7, under the guidance of the esteemed Sri. Late Kalamandalam K Gopalakrishnan for 8 years. Her training continued with Sri. Kalamandalam Keshavan Namboothiri and she is presently mentored by Sri. Kottakkal Harikumar. Over the years, she has garnered many honors, including the “Guru Pattikamthodi Smaraka Puraskara” award in Kerala. As a Kathakali practitioner for over 25 years, Roshni regularly shares the stage with renowned Kathakali artists in the USA, Kerala, and abroad. She has portrayed diverse roles and now primarily specializes in the “sthri vesham” or female character roles. Her performances, embodying the technically and emotionally challenging roles such as Lalitha, Urvashi, Damayanthi, and Panjali, have won acclaim from both Kathakali enthusiasts and critics. In addition to her performances in India, Roshni has showcased her talent at numerous Indian classical dance festivals across the USA, with notable appearances in Nebraska, Texas, New York, among others. She is a mentor artist who received the 2024-2025 ACTA Apprenticeship grant. While balancing her profession as a design engineer, she continues her pursuit of Kathakali, aiming to introduce and make this ancient classical art form accessible to new audiences.