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Mrinalini Sarabhai

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Mrinalini Sarabhai
Sarabhai in 2008
Born
Mrinalini Swaminadhan

(1918-05-11)11 May 1918
Madras,Madras Presidency,British India[1]
Died21 January 2016(2016-01-21)(aged 97)
Ahmedabad,Gujarat,India
NationalityIndian
Alma materVisva-Bharati University
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer
TitleFounder ofDarpana Academy of Performing Arts
Spouse
​
​
(m.1942; died 1971)​
ChildrenMallika Sarabhai(daughter)
Kartikeya Sarabhai(son)
Parent
RelativesLakshmi Sahgal(elder sister)
HonoursPadma Bhushan(1992)
Padma Shri(1965)

Mrinalini Vikram Sarabhai(11 May 1918 – 21 January 2016) was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor. She was the founder and director of theDarpana Academy of Performing Arts,an institute for imparting training in dance, drama, music and puppetry, in the city ofAhmedabad.[2]She receivedPadma Bhushanin 1992 andPadma Shriin 1965. She also received many other citations in recognition of her contribution to art.

Biography[edit]

Early life and education[edit]

Mrinalini was born to aTamil Brahminfather andMalayaliNairmother[3]in present-dayKeralaon 11 May 1918.[4]Her father was Subbarama Swaminathan, a distinguished lawyer with degrees from Harvard and London Universities, who practised criminal law atMadras High Courtand was later made Principal of the Madras Law College.[5]Her mother was her father'sSambandhampartner (and later wife) A.V. Ammukutty, better known asAmmu Swaminathan,a social worker, an independence activist, and later a parliamentarian.[6]Her elder sisterLakshmi Sahgalwas the commander-in-chief ofSubhas Chandra Bose's 'Rani of Jhansi Regiment' of theIndian National Army( Azad Hind Fauj).[7]Her elder brother,Govind Swaminadhan,was a barrister who practised in Madras as a specialist in constitutional and criminal law apart from civil law and company law; he was the attorney general forMadras State(nowTamil Nadu).[8] She attended a boarding school in Switzerland for two years, where, she received her first lessons in theDalcrozeschool, a Western technique of dance movements.[9]She was educated atShantiniketanunder the guidance ofRabindranath Tagorewhere she realised her true calling. She then went for a short time to the United States where she enrolled in theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts.On returning to India, she began her training in the south Indian classical dance form ofBharatanatyamunderMeenakshisundaram Pillaiand the classical dance-drama ofKathakaliunder the legendary Guru ThakazhiKunchu Kurup.[10]

Marriage and the following years[edit]

Mrinalini married the Indian physicistVikram Sarabhaiwho is considered to be the Father of theIndian Space Programin 1942. She has a son,Kartikeyaand a daughterMallikawho too went on to attain fame in dance and theatre. Mrinalini foundedDarpanain Ahmedabad in 1948. A year later, she performed at theThéâtre national de Chaillotin Paris.[citation needed]

Mrinalini and Vikram had a troubled marriage. According to biographer Amrita Shah, Vikram Sarabhai had a void in his personal life he sought to fill by dedicating himself to applying science for social good.[11]

Other areas of contribution[edit]

Besides choreographing more than three hundred dance dramas, she has also written many novels, poetry, plays and stories for children. She was the chairperson of theGujaratState Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Ltd. She was also one of the trustees of the Sarvodaya International Trust, an organisation for promotion of Gandhian ideals, and was also the chairperson of the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD).[12]Her autobiography is titledMrinalini Sarabhai: The Voice of the Heart.[13]

Death[edit]

She was admitted to hospital on 20 January 2016 and died the next day at the age of 97.[14]

Awards and recognition[edit]

C. K. Mehta presenting theDhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Awardto Mrinalini Sarabhai on 27 June 2014

Mrinalini Sarabhai has been awarded by theIndian governmentwith the national civilian awardsPadma Bhushanin 1992 and thePadma Shriin 1965.[15]She was honoured with the Degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa (LittD) by theUniversity of East Anglia,Norwich,UK in 1997. She was also the first Indian to receive the medal and Diploma of the French association Archives Internationales de la Danse. She received theKerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowshipin 1988.[16]She was nominated to the executive committee of theInternational Dance Council,Paris in 1990[2]and awarded theSangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship,New Delhi in 1994. She was presented with a gold medal by the Mexican Government for her choreography for the Ballet Folklorico of Mexico.[citation needed]

TheDarpana Academy of Performing Artscelebrated its golden jubilee on 28 December 1998, with the announcement of the annual "Mrinalini Sarabhai Award for Classical Excellence", in the field of classical dance.[17][18]

Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Artist and Her Art,a documentary film based on her life released in 2012. It was directed by Yadavan Chandran and produced by thePublic Service Broadcasting Trust.[19]

She was the first recipient of theNishagandhi Puraskaram,an annual award of theGovernment of Kerala.The award was presented in 2013.[20]She was awarded theDhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Awardin 2014.[21]

On 11 May 2018,Google Doodlecommemorated her 100th birthday.[22]

In popular culture[edit]

Regina Cassandraportrayed her inSony LIV's seriesRocket Boysbased on the life ofVikram SarabhaiandHomi J. Bhabha.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Mrinalini Sarabhai, Indian Classical Dancer and Choreographer, Dies at 97".Nida NaJar.The New York Times. 27 January 2016.Retrieved7 March2023.
  2. ^abIndira Gandhi Memorial Trust (1993).Challenges of the twenty-first century: Conference 1991.Taylor & Francis. p. 375.ISBN81-224-0488-X.
  3. ^"On World Dance Day: The Women who embody grace".www.shethepeople.tv.Retrieved16 January2022.
  4. ^Debra Craine and Judith Mackrell (2010).The Oxford Dictionary of Dance.Oxford: University Press. p.396.ISBN978-0199563449.
  5. ^"Natarani's last dance".Mumbai Mirror.22 January 2016.Retrieved3 March2023.
  6. ^Gupta, Smita (2012)."Comrade Lakshmi Sahgal (1914–2012): Revolutionary, a true daughter of India".Social Scientist.40(9/10): 85–89.JSTOR23338888.Retrieved20 November2021.
  7. ^Kolappan, B. (24 July 2012)."A fulfilling journey that began in Madras".The Hindu.Retrieved10 December2021.
  8. ^"The Hindu: Govind Swaminadhan passes away".13 January 2004. Archived fromthe originalon 13 January 2004.Retrieved10 December2021.
  9. ^"First step, first love".The Indian Express.9 December 2002. Archived from the original on 22 April 2004.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^"Mrinalini & Sanjay: Children Of Indian Spring, Masters Of Global Bloom".www.outlookindia.com/.Retrieved11 May2018.
  11. ^Amrita Shah (2007)Vikram Sarabhai: A Life.Penguin Viking.ISBN0-670-99951-2
  12. ^Nehru Foundation for Development.Rizvi shabib.org
  13. ^Mrinalini Sarabhai (2004).The Voice of the Heart: An Autobiography.HarperCollins Publishers India, a joint venture with India Today Group.ISBN978-81-7223-475-1.
  14. ^"Mrinalini Sarabhai passes away".The Hindu.21 January 2016.ISSN0971-751X.Retrieved21 January2016.
  15. ^"Padma Awards"(PDF).Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 15 October 2015.Retrieved21 July2015.
  16. ^"Dance".Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala.Retrieved25 February2023.
  17. ^"Tradition takes over".The Indian Express.26 December 1998.Retrieved20 October2010.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^"Google Doodle celebrates legendary dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai".The Times of India.Retrieved11 May2018.
  19. ^"Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Artist and her Art".PSBT India. 21 October 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2021.
  20. ^"Nishagandhi Puraskaram for Mrinalini Sarabhai".The Hindu.26 January 2013.Retrieved29 January2016.
  21. ^"K G Subramanyan awarded Savyasachi Award".The Times of India.28 June 2015.Retrieved15 July2010.
  22. ^"Mrinalini Sarabhai's 100th Birthday".11 May 2018.

External links[edit]

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