Cheenithala Pillai was one of the most celebrated Kathakali artists of the 20th century and was known for his improvisational roles.
He was born in 1924 in Chennithala, allepy district and trained under his grandfather Shri kochu pillai panicker and later Guru sri Raman Pillai.
During the course of his artistic journey, he has donned a multitude of character roles and was awarded the sangeeth Natak Academy 1n 1991 and Kerala Kalamandalamin 1996.