Arundhati Roy

🪔 About

Arundhati Roy is a prominent Indian classical Odissi dancer, choreographer, and guru, based in Kolkata. She received her initial training under Guru Murulidhar Majhi and subsequently honed her skills for over thirty-five years under the tutelage of the legendary Padmabibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. Roy holds an M.A. in Odissi from Rabindra Bharati University, demonstrating her academic and practical mastery of the art form. She has successfully synthesized the pure Odissi styles of her two maestri, infusing her performances with unique color and vibrancy through new improvisations. Throughout her extensive career, Arundhati Roy has garnered significant national and international acclaim, performing Odissi recitals in countries such as Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Britain, the U.S.A., Vietnam, Singapore, and Bhutan. She is an enlisted artist with Doordarshan, where she has performed numerous solo and group pieces on Calcutta Doordarshan and the National Program of Dance. Beyond performing, Roy is an esteemed choreographer, known for her innovative stage productions that often combine different classical forms, including Kathak-Odissi Jugalbandi, and explore modern contemporary themes and poetries. Her choreographed works include Tagore's "Bhanusingher Padabali," "Borishono Mukhorito Aji (Monsoon Ballet)," "Navarashe Nari," and "Urvashi," the latter of which she performed with her troupe in 2010. In 2011, she was invited by the Singapore Tagore Society to choreograph "Navarashe Nari." In 1985, Arundhati Roy established the Chandril Odissi Dance Centre, where she imparts her knowledge and legacy to the next generation of dancers. She has trained various individuals, including media personalities and actress Rupa Ganguly for her role in the film "Yuganta." Notable students include Sukarna Mazumder, who has been training under her since 2016. Roy has also served as a judge for prestigious events like CCRT, Rajya Sangeet Academy of Rashtriya Yuva Utsav, and Rashtriya Yuva Utsav, and was appointed an examiner of Rabindra Bharati University in 2020. She is the Secretary of the Odissi Dancers forum of Calcutta, organizing classical dance festivals. Her contributions extend to media, having been an announcer for Calcutta Doordarshan for ten years and being interviewed by BBC Radio and Deutche Welle to explain her art form.