Indrani Rahman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Indian Classical Dancer, who brought Kuchipudi Dance from the village to India's Capital, Delhi | |
| Born | Indrani Bajpai (1930-09-19)19 September 1930[1] |
| Died | 5 February 1999(1999-02-05) (aged 68) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Indian classical dancer, choreographer, |
| Spouse | Habib Rahman |
| Children | Ram RahmanSukanya Rahman |
| Mother | Ragini Devi |
| Awards | 1969:Padma Shri 1981:Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |
Indrani Rahman (19 September 1930,Chennai – 5 February 1999, New York City) was anIndian classical dancer ofBharata Natyam,Kuchipudi,Kathakali,Odissi and the country's first beauty pageant titleholder. she popularised in the west and later settled in New York in 1976.
In 1952, she won the Miss India pageant and then represented India in 1st everMiss Universe 1952. Later, she joined her mother Ragini Devi's company. She popularised the Indian classical dance form, Odissi during her international tours. Indrani had received thePadma Shri in 1969 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in the performing arts and also the Taraknath Das Award.
Indrani Rahman was born inChennai (then Madras), the daughter of Ramalal Balram Bajpai (1880–1962), sometime president of the Indo-American League, by his wifeRagini Devi (née Esther Luella Sherman). Her father, Ramalal Bajpai, was a Maharashtrian from Nagpur, a chemist who went to the US for higher education. Here he met and married Esther Luella Sherman, an American by birth. Born inPetoskey, Michigan in 1893,[2] (died 1982),[3] Esther embraced Hinduism upon her wedding and took the name 'Ragini Devi.'[4]
The couple moved to India in the 1920s. Ramalal then took a job as Assistant Editor ofYoung India, the magazine founded byLala Lajpat Rai. AfterIndependence, he became theConsul General of India at New York,[5] and president of the Indo-American League. Meanwhile, Ragini became a passionate proponent ofIndian classical dance and devoted her life to their revival and nurture. This happened after a fateful meeting with the greatrajadasi, (royal courtesan) Jetti Tayamma ofMysore, from whom she started learningBharata Natyam. She then honed her dancing talents under the tutelage of Gauri Amma, a courtesan of Chennai.[6][7][8] Ragini then became a celebrated dancer herself, and was among the most feted performers of the 1930s.[9] Ragini also championed the revival ofKathakali during the same period.[citation needed]
Indrani was born in Chennai to this couple and grew up in a mixed-race household. She was brought up to be uninhibited and independent by her American mother, who encouraged her to participate in beauty pageants. As one of very few participants from across the country who could be persuaded to contest the pageant, Indrani was crowned 'Miss India' in the year 1952.[citation needed]
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Indrani started learning dance in her mother's company, at age nine, and accompanied her as she travelled through, Americas, and Europe. Professionally, she first started withBharata Natyam, having learnt thePandanallur style ofBharata Natyam from Guru Chokkalingam Pillai (1893–1968) in the 1940s. Soon she was inVijaywada, learningKuchipudi fromKorada Narsimha Rao with whom she later toured many parts of the world.[10]
In 1947, Indrani attracted the attention of India's leading dance and art criticCharles Fabri, who later encouraged her to go to Orissa and learn the little-known classical dance form ofOdissi, making her the first professional dancer to learn Odissi. After learning Odissi for three years, from Guru Sri Deba Prasad Das, she went on to popularise it, through performance in various parts of India and the world.[11][12]
In 1952, although married, and with a child, she became the firstMiss India,[13][14] and went on to compete in theMiss Universe 1952 Pageant, held atLong Beach, California.[15] Soon, she was travelling along with her mother and performing all over the world.[16] In 1961, she was the first dancer presented on a national tour by the Asia Society, and also performed for US PresidentJohn F. Kennedy and Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru, during Nehru's official visit to Washington, D.C.,[9] and in the following years she also performed for EmperorHaile Selassie, QueenElizabeth II,Mao Zedong,Nikita Khrushchev, andFidel Castro.[4][17] In 1976 she became a faculty member of the dance division at theJuilliard School at New York'sLincoln Center for the Performing Arts, taught in various American universities, includingHarvard, and spent her remaining two decades in the United States, touring extensively.
At the age of 15 she eloped and marriedHabib Rahman (1915–1995), a well-known architect, in 1945, the couple had a son, artist,Ram Rahman, and a daughter,Sukanya Rahman (Wicks),[18] who also danced with her mother and grandmother. Her grandsons are Wardreath Wicks and Habib Wicks.
Indrani Rahman died on 5 February 1999 inManhattan, New York.[19]
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