Mrinalini Sarabhai: Art world loses an icon

A celebrated Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor, Mrinalini, during her lifetime choreographed more than 300 dance dramas. Authoress of a multitude of novels, poetry, plays and stories for children, she was also one of the trustees of the Sarvodaya International Trust, an organisation for promotion of Gandhian ideals, and the chairperson of the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD). Her autobiography was titled ‘’Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Voice of the Heart.’’ 

Mrinalini was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1992 and Padma Shri in 1965. She was honoured with the Degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa (LittD) by the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK in 1997. 

Born on May 11, 1918, in Kerala as the daughter of a social worker and former Parliament member Ammu Swaminathan, Mrinalini spent her childhood in Switzerland, where she received her first lessons in the Dalcroze school, a Western technique of dance movements. She was educated at Santiniketan under the guidance of Rabindranath Tagore where she realised her true calling. Mrinalini then went for a short time to the United States where she enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. On returning to India, she began her training in Bharatanatyam under Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and Kathakali under the legendary Guru Thakazhi Kunchu Kurup. 

In 1942, Mrinalini married physicist Vikram Sarabhai. 

Vikram Sarabhai gave her freedom to develop her own potential. According to biographer Amrita Shah, Vikram had a void in his personal life which he sought to fill by dedicating himself to applying science for social good. Mrinalini is survived by danseuse and activist daughter Mallika Sarabhai and son Kartikey Sarabhai, founder of the city-based Centre for Environment Education (CEE). Announcing her mother’s death in a Facebook post, Mallika said, “My mother just left for her eternal dance.”