Mallika Sarabhai

She was born on 9 May 1954 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, to the renowned space scientist, Vikram Sarabhai and his wife, the classical dancer, Mrinalini Sarabhai. Both her parents were very famous and accomplished professionals in their respective fields.

From a young age she was exposed to different cultural and artistic elements. Being the daughter of a physicist, she was raised in an intellectually stimulating environment. Her mother ensured that she learned different dance forms from a young age and thus Mallika was trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance forms.

She earned a B.A. in economics with honours from St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, in 1972. Then she enrolled at the Indian Institute of Management—one of the most prestigious management institutions in India—from where she completed her M.B.A. in 1974. She received her Doctorate in Organizational Behaviour from the Gujarat University in 1976.

She began performing while still in her teens and started acting in parallel cinema when she was 15. She portrayed the role of Draupadi in British director Peter Brook’s ‘The Mahabharata’ for five years. Making her debut in the French version, she reprised this role in the English version too, performing all over France, America Australia, Japan, and Scotland.

She appeared in many Hindi and Gujarati language films and won acclaim for her acting skills. Some of her most popular film roles include the ones she played in ‘Mutthi Bhar Chawal’ (1975), ‘Himalay Se Ooncha’ (1975), ‘Mena Gurjari’ (1975), ‘Maniyaro’ (1980), and ‘Katha’ (1983). Along with working in films she also became active in television.

She once again collaborated with Peter Brook with whom she had performed in the initial years of her career and reprised the role of Draupadi in his film version of the epic ‘The Mahabharata’.

As a dancer and choreographer she worked closely with her mother Mrinalini to manage the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts located at Ahmedabad. She also continued performing as a soloist and created both classical and contemporary works.

An independent minded woman with a strong social conscience, she was an active champion for education and woman’s empowerment. In 1989, she created her solo theatrical work, ‘Shakti: The Power of Women’ which was critically appreciated for its impactful presentation.

She won the Best Film Actress Award for, ‘Mena Gurjari’, a Gujarati film, by the Government of Gujarat in 1975.

She was bestowed with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Creative Dance, in 2000.

The Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC) named her the Woman of the Year in 2003.

She became the proud recipient of the Theatre Pasta Theatre Award in 2007.

She was honored by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India, in 2010 in recognition of her invaluable contribution to the arts.