Thiruvananthapuram: For Anish Kumar Krishna, the road to becoming a doctor began not with a stethoscope, but with a mridangam. At a life-changing crossroads, he had to choose between a medical career he had earned and the music that had captured his heart. Two decades later, that choice made him Kerala’s first person to earn a PhD in the percussion instrument.
When Anish, a native of Kuttamperoor in Alappuzha, arrived in Thiruvananthapuram in 2003, his future appeared clearly mapped out. He had set his sights on joining an Ayurveda college and fulfilling his dream of seeing the title ‘Dr’ before his name. But destiny had a different script in store.
A visit to the prestigious Swathi Thirunal College of Music left the young aspirant caught between two worlds. Should he pursue the medical seat he had secured through the entrance examination or follow his passion for music, particularly the captivating rhythms of the mridangam?
After much introspection, Anish chose the path dictated by his heart. Giving up the medical seat, with the complete support of his family, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Performing Arts programme.
Years later, he achieved his dream of becoming a doctor, though in a way he had never imagined. Anish became the first person to earn a PhD in mridangam, earning the title of Dr Anish Kumar Krishna.
Anish says he is disappointed that no one else in Kerala has pursued or completed a doctoral study on the percussion instrument, either before or after him. His research thesis was titled `The intellectual and creative contributions of mridangam maestros of the 20th century’.
His meeting with Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair, the legendary musician who founded the Mridangam Department at Swathi Thirunal College of Music, was a turning point for Anish. After his retirement, Velukkutty Nair stayed near the college and took Anish under his wing, providing him with accommodation and personally training him at his residence.
The veteran maestro encouraged Anish to remain committed to music, even when well-paying job opportunities abroad came his way.
Anish later completed his MPhil under Dr Vayala Vasudevan Pillai and earned his PhD under the guidance of Dr B Arundhathi. He is currently a faculty member in mridangam at the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, Tripunithura.
