Kailash Pandya (1923 – 24 December 2007), a distinguished theatre artist, winner of numerous national awards, was born in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India. He was actively associated with the Indian People’s Theatre Association, Mumbai from 1943 to 1948. From 1949 to 1957, he worked with Jaishankar Bhojak aka Jaishankar Sundari at Nat Mandal, Ahmedabad, and in 1958 attended the Asian Theatre Institute in Delhi (which later grew into the National School of Drama). He also learnt Kathakali from Guru Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair and Bhavai from Guru Chimanlal Nayak.