Mrinalini Sarabhai Age, Death, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More
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Death Cause: Stomach Infection
Husband: Vikram Sarabhai
Age: 97 Years
Bio/Wiki | |
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Other name | Mrinalini Swaminathan (name before marriage) |
Nickname(s) | Amma [1]The Times Of India |
Professions | Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher, Writer, Activist |
Known for | • Being the first female dancer of Kathakali •Preserving South Indian Classical dance forms |
Title earned | High Priestess of Indian Classical Dance [2]Financial Express |
Physical Stats & More | |
Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 163 cm in meters- 1.63 m in feet & inches- 5’ 4” |
Eye Colour | Gray |
Hair Colour | Black |
Career | |
Famous Performances | •Manushya: (1958) •Shakuntala: (1971) •Chandalika: (1977) •Ganga: (1985) |
Awards | • Veer Shrinkala • Natya Kala Sikhamani (1960) • Padma Shri (1965) • Gold Medal by Mexican Government (1968) • Gujarat’s first state award for dance (1969) • Vishwa Gurjari award (1984) • Padma Bhushan (1992) • Honoured with the Scroll of Honour by the Vice-President of India (1995) • Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1994) • Nishagandhi Puraskaram (2013) |
Honours | • D.Litt. degree (Rabindra Bharati University of Calcutta) (1979) • Desikottama (D.Litt. Honoris Causa) Vishva-Bharati University (1987) • Honor Summus Award by the Watumull Foundation, Honolulu (1991) • Kalidas Samman by Madhya Pradesh government (1996) • D.Litt.honoris causa by the University of East Anglia, UK (1997) • Google Doodle streamed on her 100th birthday (2018) |
Personal Life | |
Date of Birth | 11 May 1918 (Saturday) |
Birthplace | Source 1: Madras, Madras Presidency, British India (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) [3]The New York Times Source 2: Madras Presidency, British India (now Kerala, India) [4]The Indian Express |
Date of Death | 21 January 2016 |
Place of Death | Ahmedabad |
Age (at the time of death) | 97 Years |
Death Cause | Stomach Infection |
Zodiac sign | Taurus |
Signature | |
Nationality | Indian |
Hometown | Ahmedabad |
School | •Dalcroze School, Switzerland (for 2 Years around 1930s) •Shantiniketan, West Bengal |
College/University | American Academy of Dramatic Arts, U. S. |
Caste | Tamil Brahmin [5]citation |
Hobbies | Dancing, Writing, Reading |
Relationships & More | |
Marital Status | Married |
Marriage Date | Year 1942 |
Family | |
Husband/Spouse | Vikram Sarabhai |
Children | Son- Kartikeya Sarabhai (Environmentalist, Educationalist) Daughter- Mallika Sarabhai |
Parents | Mother- Ammu Swaminathan (Parliamentarian, Social and Indian Independence activist) Father- Subbarama Swaminathan (Criminal lawyer, Indian Independence activist) |
Siblings | Brother- 2 • Govind Swaminadhan (younger; lawyer) • Subbaram Sister- Lakshmi Sahgal (elder; Doctor, Politician, Commander-in-chief of Azad Hind Fauj's 'Rani of Jhansi Regiment') |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Mrinalini Sarabhai
- Mrinalini is the first and only woman to have received the honour of Veera Sringhala in the Kathakali category.
- Kerala government’s first state award for dance (Nishagandhi Puraskaram) was given to Mrinalini Sarabhai in 2013.
- Her Kathakali Guru was Guru Kunchu Kurup and Bharatanatyam Guru was Meenakshisundaram Pillai.
- She was also a writer and has written various columns, books and blogs on her dance experiences, mythology, and environment. She wrote about the letters exchanged between Sarojini Naidu and Mahatma Gandhi.
- Mrinalini held the post of Chairperson in the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD).
- She got herself trained in sound processing from America.
- A 2012 documentary was made on her life titled ‘The Artist and Her Art.’ It was made by her daughter, Mallika Sarabhai and Yadavan Chandran.
- Mrinalini Sarabhai also wrote an autobiography titled ‘Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Voice of the Heart.’
- She was featured on the Femina magazine’s cover page.
- She also served the post of Chairperson in Gujarat State Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation.
- In 1994, Mrinalini Sarabhai became the first Indian to receive a diploma and medal from the French Archives Internationales de la Danse.
- In the 2022 web series ‘Rocket Science’ Regina Cassandra portrays the character of Mrinalini Sarabhai.
- Mrinalini was a supporter of Gandhian ideals. She was also among the trustees of the Sarvodaya International Trust.
- In 1990, Mrinalini Sarabhai was a member (nominated) of the Executive Council of the International Dance Council.
- Mrinalini Sarabhai was also an environmentalist. She had created and choreographed many dance performances on this topic. Like ‘Aspirations’ which was a dance drama about the destruction of Kerala’s Silent Valley Rainforests.
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