Mallika Sarabhai
THE name Mallika Sarabhai conjures up the image of a beautiful classical dancer, choreographer, theatre personality, scriptwriter and an activist all rolled into one. Daughter of the renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Mrinalani Sarabhai and scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika started off as a Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer.
She made a foray into films at the age of 16. Mallika then went on to become a catalyst-performer who challenged her audience to sit up and think of ecology, the women’s role in society, gender awareness and cultural atrophy.
Rejecting the need to be reverent towards a patriarchal society, Mallika’s attempt has been to discover the valiant female figures present in mythology history and contemporary time. Be it through Shakti - the Power of Women — a strong statement about the Indian woman, or Sita’s daughters — about women refusing to accept an oppressive system, or through Itan Kahani, a comment on cultural manipulation.
As a choreographer, she has felt the need to do away with the fossilisation of art forms. With Mallika, one sees a different idiom of classical dance forms emerge. This idiom is demonstrated through her experimentation on-stage with various Indian martial forms, elements of folk dances and even video accompaniments.
Mallika is involved with Mrinalini Sarabhai’s Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Ahmedabad. As its co-director, she co-ordinates the training of hundreds of students in dance, theatre, puppetry and music, and directs the Darpan Dance Company, Janavak Folk and Tribal Dance Company and darpana for Development.
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