Kavalam Narayana Panicker is an Indian dramatist, theatre director and poet. He has written over 26 Malayalam plays, many adapted from classical Sanskrit drama and Shakespeare, notably Madhyamavyayogam (1979) Kalidasa's Vikramorvasiyam (1981, 1996), Shakuntalam (1982), Karnabharam (1984, 2001), Bhasa's Uru Bhangam (1988), Swapnavasavadattam and Dootavakyam (1996). He is the founder-director of theatre troupe, Sopanam, which led to the foundation of 'Bhashabharati: Centre for Performing Arts, Training and Research, in trivandrum. He was awarded the 1983 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Direction by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, which gave him its highest award for lifetime achievement the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2002.