Bhavna Pani

🪔 About

Bhavna Pani is an accomplished Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and a film and theatre actress based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She began her dance training at the age of six and started performing professionally at a young age, becoming a recipient of the CCRT scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Pani is extensively trained in Odissi, having studied under Guru Ravindra Atibudhi at the Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Juhu, and later under Guru Jhelum Paranjape. She also attended multiple residency intensive workshops with the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. In Kathak, Bhavna Pani trained under Guru Neelima Azeem, a renowned disciple of Pt. Birju Maharaj. Her training also extends to contemporary dance, jazz, and ballet, having completed a diploma in contemporary dance from the Terrence Lewis Dance Academy. Guru Jhelum Paranjape, also a mathematics professor, influenced Pani's choreographies with perfect and precise geometrical alignments and formations. Throughout her career, Bhavna Pani has performed extensively both nationally and internationally. A significant part of her dance career includes starring as the lead in the international stage musical 'Bharati - The Wonder That Is India' for nearly a decade, performing over 1,500 shows in more than 15 countries across Europe, Africa, and Canada. She has also collaborated on choreographic works, including 'Water Games' with Spanish choreographer Michel Casanovas. In January 2020, Pani founded her own dance-theatre company, 'Just B Repertory,' through which she continues to perform and teach Odissi. She also serves as the artistic director for AGP World's 'Devdas - The Musical.' Beyond dance, Bhavna Pani has a notable career as an actress, having appeared as the lead in over 14 feature films across Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema, and featured in more than 75 television commercials. Her theatre work includes acclaimed performances with Naseeruddin Shah's Motley Theatre Group in productions like 'Aurat, Aurat, Aurat' and 'The Father.' She also won a META award for her performance in QTP's 'So Many Socks.' Awards & Honours: CCRT scholarship, Sringar Mani, META Award for Best Supporting Actress (2013).