>Samee at 05:41, 28 November 2021

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{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Padma Bhushan]]
| name = Mallika Sarabhai
| image = Mallika Sarabhai in play AKABR directed by Arvind Gaur.jpg
| caption = Mallika Sarabhai in [[Bertolt Brecht]]'s adaptation of ''[[The Good Person of Szechwan]]'' directed by [[Arvind Gaur]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|05|09}}
| birth_place = [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]], India
| occupation = [[Kuchipudi]] and [[Bharatanatyam]] dancer, actress, politician
| height =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| years_active = 1969 – present
| other_names =
| spouse = Bipin Shah
| parents = [[Vikram Sarabhai]] <br/>[[Mrinalini Sarabhai|Mrinalini]]
| children = [[Revanta Sarabhai|Revanta]] <br/> Anahita
| website = {{URL|www.mallikasarabhai.com}}
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]]
}}

'''Mallika Sarabhai''' (born 9 May 1954) is an activist and Indian classical dancer and actress from [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]], India. Daughter of a classical dancer [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]] and space scientist [[Vikram Sarabhai]], Mallika is an accomplished [[Kuchipudi]] and [[Bharatanatyam]] dancer<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=jgYKAQAAMAAJ&q=Mallika+Sarabhai+Born&dq=Mallika+Sarabhai+Born&hl=en&ei=oBOpTbjeJpTogQfE_OXzBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw '''International encyclopedia of dance:''' a project of Dance Perspectives Foundation, Inc]</ref> and performer who has specialized in using the arts for social change and transformation.

==Early life==
Mallika Sarabhai was born in [[Ahmedabad]], Gujarat, [[India]] to [[Vikram Sarabhai]] and [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]]. She completed her [[MBA]] from [[IIM Ahmedabad]] in 1974 and Doctorate in Organisational Behaviour from the [[Gujarat University]] in 1976.<ref>[http://dances.indobase.com/dancers/mallika-sarabhai.html indobase Dances of India]</ref> She is a noted choreographer and dancer and has also acted in a few Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati and international films.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090323022548/http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/20/stories/2009032060931000.htm The Hindu : National : Mallika Sarabhai to contest against Advani]</ref>

==Career==
She started to learn dancing when she was young and started her film career in the parallel cinema when she was 15. Mallika played the role of [[Draupadi]] in the [[Peter Brook]]'s play ''[[The Mahabharata (Play)|The Mahabharata]]''. Mallika has won many accolades during her long career, the Golden Star Award is one of them, which she won for the Best Dance Soloist, Theatre De Champs Elysees, Paris 1977. As well as a dancer, Sarabhai is a social activist.<ref>[http://www.womensweb.in/articles/inspiring-woman-mallika-sarabhai/ Inspiring woman ]</ref> She manages the [[Darpana Academy of Performing Arts]] located at Ahmedabad, a centre for the arts and for the use of arts as a language for behaviour change.<ref>[http://www.darpana.com/about_us_mallika_sarabhai.php Welcome to the world of Darpana] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719072652/http://www.darpana.com/about_us_mallika_sarabhai.php |date=19 July 2011 }}</ref>

==Performance==
She acted in the Hindi movie titled ''[[Himalay Se Ooncha]]'' that was released in 1975. The movie which had ''[[Sunil Dutt]]'' as the hero, did not do very well at the box office. In 1986 she acted in the [[Basu Chatterji]] directed movie titled ''[[Sheesha (1986 film)|Sheesha]]'' opposite super star [[Mithun Chakraborty]].

In 1989 she performed hard-hitting solo theatrical works, Shakti: The Power of Women.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.womensweb.in/articles/inspiring-woman-mallika-sarabhai/ | title=Inspiring woman - Mallika Sarabhai}}</ref> Her performance Sita's Daughters has toured the world and been performed over 500 times in three languages. After that, she directed and acted in numerous productions reflecting current issues and awareness among people. Amongst them is An Idea Named Meera; In Search of the Goddess and SvaKranti: The Revolution Within.

Mallika Sarabhai also wrote the script for the play 'Unsuni' based on Harsh Mander's book 'Unheard Voices' to raise awareness amongst children in elite schools and colleges to the real issues facing India's marginalized. The play went around 120 schools and colleges. Arvind Gaur later directed it as a play, with the same name. Darpana Academy has launched the people awareness movement through its production Unsuni which travels all over India.

In 2009 Mallika Sarabhai acted in an Indian adaptation Bertolt Brecht's of ''[[The Good Person of Szechwan]]'' (Ahmedabadki Aurat Bhali-Ramkali) directed by [[Arvind Gaur]] in 34th Vikram Sarabhai International Art Festival.

In the year 2012, Mallika co-directed 'Women with Broken Wings,' an international production with filmmaker Yadavan Chandran and Swiss pianist [[Elizabeth Sombart]], an ode to the millions of women who have been the victims of violence. In 2014 she recreated, with Yadavan Chandran, Kadak Badshaahi, a multimedia production on the 603-year-old history of the city of [[Ahmedabad]]. The performance ran for an unprecedented 33 full nights in Darpana's venue, Natarani.

=== Television ===
Mallika has also used film and television for social change, especially for women's empowerment<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.womensweb.in/articles/mallika-sarabhai-interview/ | title=Interview with Mallika Sarabhai}}</ref> and environmental consciousness. Through Darpana Communications, she has been responsible for the production of three thousand hours of TV broadcast programming, all of which has been shown through [[Doordarshan]], Gujarati. The programming uses the most popular genres of TV. She has anchored many shows on STAR TV and [[Doordarshan]] as well as the first NACO series on HIV, Talk Positive; the science series ''[[Turning Point (1991 TV series)|Turning Point]]''; Vaividhyotsav, the culture quiz and Srishti: The Environment Quiz.

==Writing==
Mallika first started writing when she produced and performed Shakti: The Power of Women. Since then she has scripted her shows, TV serials for ISROs educational TV in Madhya Pradesh, film scripts and more new contemporary lyrics for Bharatanatyam. She has been a columnist for ''Times of India'', ''Vanitha'', ''The Week'', ''DivyaBhaskar'', ''Hans'' and ''DNA''.

==Politics==
On 19 March 2009, Mallika Sarabhai announced her candidature against the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]'s prime ministerial candidate [[L K Advani]] for the [[Gandhinagar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat]], as an independent candidate in the [[2009 Indian general election|2009 general election]]. She had won from the Congress to contest election, the first being in 1984 from [[Rajiv Gandhi]].<ref>[http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/danseuse-mallika-sarabhai-troops-into-advani-bastion-in-gandhinagar/436739/ Express India – Danseuse Mallika Sarabhai troops into Advani bastion in Gandhinagar] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923023114/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/danseuse-mallika-sarabhai-troops-into-advani-bastion-in-gandhinagar/436739/ |date=23 September 2012 }}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120509204859/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-20/india/28015249_1_noted-danseuse-mallika-sarabhai-poll-dance-contest-from-gandhinagar-constituency Poll dance: Mallika to contest against LK from Gandhinagar – Times of India]</ref> She eventually lost to L K Advani by a huge margin and forfeited her election deposit in the process.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090519200938/http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/17/stories/2009051756281300.htm The Hindu – National – Modi magic fails to work]</ref>

She protested against [[Gujarat]] Chief Minister, [[Narendra Modi]] during Sadbhavna Mission in September 2011.<ref name="smsn">{{cite news | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Gujarat/Mallika-Sarabhai-riots-victims-detained-at-Modi-s-fast-venue/Article1-747260.aspx | title=Mallika Sarabhai, riots victims detained at Modi's fast venue | work=[[The Hindustan Times]] | date=18 September 2011 | agency=IANS | access-date=26 February 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109231038/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Gujarat/Mallika-Sarabhai-riots-victims-detained-at-Modi-s-fast-venue/Article1-747260.aspx | archive-date=9 November 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> She accused [[Narendra Modi]] of scuttling the petition filed in Supreme court by her on the [[2002 Gujarat violence]].<ref name="smsn"/> She joined the [[Aam Aadmi Party]] on 8 January 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/mallika-sarabhai-to-join-aap/article5553675.ece|title=Mallika Sarabhai joins AAP|journal=The Hindu|date=8 January 2014|access-date=9 January 2014|last1=Desai|first1=Darshan}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Mallika met Bipin Shah in 1982 and married him. They have two children, a son, [[Revanta Sarabhai|Revanta]] and a daughter Anahita.<ref>[http://www.narthaki.com/info/gtsk/gtsk5.html Narthaki – you gateway to world of Indian Dance]</ref> They divorced in 1989.<ref>{{cite news
|first=Madhurima
|last=Chatterjee
|URL=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/mallika-unmuzzled/cid/1667819
|title=Mallika Unmuzzled
|date=9 January 2012
|work=[[The Telegraph (India)]]}}</ref>
Bipin and Mallika co-founded Mapin Publishing in 1984 and continue to run it together.<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071013/saturday/main1.htm The Tribune – Magazine section – Saturday Extra]</ref>

==Honour==
* Government of [[Gujarat]] awarded her with 'Gaurav Puraskar' for the contribution in the field of drama and dance.<ref name="vyas2012">{{cite book |last=Vyas |first=Rajani |title=Gujarat Ne Asmita |page=284 |edition=5th |year=2012 |publisher=Akshara Publication |location=Ahmedabad}}</ref>
* She received the [[Padma Bhushan]] by government of India.

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Mallika-sarabhai-during-performance-saarang-2011-iit-madras.jpg|Mallika Sarabhai, Saarang 2011, [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]].
File:Mallika-sarabhai-before-performance-saarang-2011-iit-madras.jpg|Mallika Sarabhai, Saarang 2011, [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]].
File:Mallika sarabhai with m t vasudevan nair.JPG|Mallika Sarabhai with M T Vasudevan Nair
File:Mallika Sarabhai.JPG|Mallika Sarabhai
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Indian women in dance]]
* [[Sarabhai family]]
* [[Vikram Sarabhai]]
* [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]]
* [[Jan Lokpal Bill]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* ''India's 50 Most Illustrious Women'' ({{ISBN|81-88086-19-3}}) by Indra Gupta

==External links==
{{commons category|Mallika Sarabhai}}
* [http://www.mallikasarabhai.com Mallika Sarabhai's personal website]
* [http://www.darpana.com/ Welcome to World of Darpana]
* {{TED speaker}}
* {{IMDb name|0764713}}
* {{WorldCat id|lccn-n84-108847}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–19}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarabhai, Mallika}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actresses from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian civil rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad alumni]]
[[Category:Indian human rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]
[[Category:Dancers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Kuchipudi dancers]]
[[Category:Performers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:Actresses in Gujarati cinema]]
[[Category:Sarabhai family]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:Women writers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Activists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Women artists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Indian female classical dancers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Women in Gujarat politics]]
[[Category:Film directors from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian women screenwriters]]
[[Category:Indian women film directors]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:Women civil rights activists]]

Mallika Sarabhai - Revision history

>Samee at 05:41, 28 November 2021