Shobha Deepak Singh | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1943-10-21)21 October 1943 (age 82) New Delhi, India |
| Occupation(s) | Culturalimpresario Photographer Writer |
| Years active | 1963–Present |
| Known for | Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra |
| Spouse | Deepak Singh |
| Children | One daughter |
| Parent(s) | Lala Charat Ram Sumitra Charat Ram |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
| Website | Official website |
Shobha Deepak Singh (born 21 October 1943) is an Indian culturalimpresario, photographer, writer, classical dancer and the director ofShriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra,[1] a Delhi-based cultural organization which promotes music and performing arts, through its schools and stage shows.[2] She is known for her contributions for the revival ofMayurbhanj Chhau, a tribal martial dance form fromOdisha.[3] The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian award of thePadma Shri in 1999, for her contributions to Arts and culture.[4]
Shobha was born to Lala Charat Ram ofDCM andSumitra Charat Ram,[5] the renowned artdoyenne andPadma Shri winner, on 21 October 1943, in the Indian capital of New Delhi.[3] After completing her schooling atModern School, New Delhi, she graduated in Economics with honours fromDelhi University in 1963, to start her career as a management trainee at her father's company,Delhi Cloth & General Mills, in 1964. Four years later, subsequent to her marriage to Deepak Singh in 1967, she left DCM and joinedShriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK),[3] a cultural organization founded by her mother in 1952.[6] While managing theKamini Auditorium of the Kendra, she pursued her studies to secure the degree of Bachelor of Performing Arts and studied dance underShambhu Maharaj andBirju Maharaj and Music underBiswajit Roy Chowdhury andAmjad Ali Khan.[3]
In 1992, she joinedLiving Theatre ofEbrahim Alkazi, former director of theNational School of Drama and one of the most influential figures of modernIndian theatre,[7] and studied theatre direction, securing a diploma in 1996. She continued her association with Alkazi and worked as his assistant in four of Alkazi's productions namely,Three Sisters,Three Greek Tragedies,A Streetcar Named Desire, andDeath of a Salesman.[3] After the death ofSumitra Charat Ram in 2011, she took over the management of SBKK as its director and runs the activities of the Kendra, aided by her husband.[8]
Singh, a recipient of the 1999Padma Shri honours,[4] lives in New Delhi with her husband, Deepak Singh, and the couple has a daughter.[3]
One of the more significant contributions of Singh is her activities under the aegis of SBKK which runs theCollege of Music and Dance, offering courses inHindustani classical music in Vocals and instruments, Light music vocals and dance disciplines such asKathak,Bharatnatyam,Odissi, Mayurbhanj Chhau, Indian Ballet and Indian Contemporary Dance.[9] Several renowned artists and art teachers likeRavi Shankar,Birju Maharaj,Amjad Ali Khan,Shambhu Maharaj andShovana Narayan are associated with the organization.[9] She is the organizer ofSummer Ballet Festival, an annual dance festival, conducted in New Delhi.[10] She has also instituted an annual award,Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement, to honour excellence in Art,Birju Maharaj receiving the inaugural award in 2011[11]
Singh is an accomplished photographer, covering many of the functions of SBKK personally.[1] She is reported to have exposed over 40,000 films, covering dance, theatre and music. Her first solo exhibition was organized byEbrahim Alkazi at Shridharani Art Gallery in 1996.[12] Since then, she has exhibited her works at various places, including theTriveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi and theNehru Centre, London (2011). In 2013,Alka Pande curated her exhibition, displaying 250 of Singh's works at theIndia Habitat Centre on 25 March 2013 where a book,Dancescapes: A Photographic Journey,[12] composed of 70 photographs, was released.[13] She has also written a book on Indian theatre, under the title,Theatre Escapes: Experiencing Rasas.[14]
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