Mamata Shankar

Mamata Shankar
মমতা শঙ্কর

Mamata Shankar in 2002
Born January 7, 1955
Calcutta (now Kolkata)
Occupation Dancer, choreographer, actor
Spouse(s) Chandrodoy Ghosh
Children Ratul Shankar, Rajit Shankar

Mamata Shankar (Bengali: মমতা শঙ্কর Mômota Shônkôr; born 7 January 1955) is an actress in the Bengali language film industry of India. She has acted in films by directors including Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Rituparno Ghosh, Buddhadev Dasgupta and Gautam Ghosh. In addition to being an actress, she is a dancer and choreographer.[1]

She is the daughter of legendary dancers Uday Shankar and Amala Shankar, and the niece of Pandit Ravi Shankar. Her son is Ratul Shankar.

Early life and education

Born in 1955 to Uday Shankar and Amala Shankar, her brother was a renowned Indo-Western fusion musician Ananda Shankar.

She received her training in dance and choreography at the Uday Shankar India Culture Centre, Calcutta under Amala Shankar.[2]

Career

She made her film debut with Mrigayaa in 1976, directed by Mrinal Sen. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film for the year.

Mamata is married to Chandrodoy Ghosh, and runs the Udayan - Mamta Shankar Dance Company, which was founded in 1986, and which travels extensively throughout the world, with the 'Mamata Shankar Ballet Troupe'. The troupe was founded in 1978, and performed its first production, based on a Rabindranath Tagore work, Chandalika, in 1979.[3] It was followed by Horikhela, Aajker Ekalabya, Milap, Shikaar, Mother Earth, and Amritasyaputra.[4]

[5][6][7]

Awards

Filmography

References

  1. Mamata Shankar enthralls Amdavadis The Times of India, 11 November 2001.
  2. Milestones Official biography.
  3. Dialogues in dance discourse: creating dance in Asia Pacific, by Mohd. Anis Md. Nor, World Dance Alliance, Universiti Malaya. Pusat Kebudayaan. Published by Cultural Centre, University of Malaya, 2007. ISBN 983-2085-85-3. Page 63.
  4. She enjoys the reputation of a classic ‘modern’ dancer The Tribune, 27 March 2006.
  5. Quoting , Jennifer Dunnings of New York Times :- "A vibrant theatrical experience. What distinguished the work was its way of telling a story so that the most jaded dance goers in the audience were lulled into rapt absorption." This was in 1983 , while she reviewed ; "Aajker Ekalabya" ; a ballet on the theme of Guru-Disciple relationship as prevalent in the present day society.
  6. http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/events2001-02/2001-02udayshankar.htm
  7. http://www.mamatashankardancecompany.org/dance_company_activities.htm

External links