In 1949 a 30-year-old physicist convinced his 31-year-old classical dancer wife that there was much more to the performing arts for a nascently independent India than just artistry. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, a pioneer of India’s space and atomic programs, told Mrinalini Sarabhai, a highly respected classical dancer and choreographer, about the potential of the arts to engender a socio-cultural transformation in a country emerging from centuries of subjugation. The result was Darpana Academy of Performing Arts which was set up on the banks of the Sabarmati River, not too far from Mohandas Gandhi’s ashram.

As the academy celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding, Dr. Mallika Sarabhai, daughter of the Sarabhais and herself a highly respected dancer, choreographer, actress, writer and social activist, carries on the glorious tradition. The academy has over the decades trained over 35,000 students from across India and the world in its quest to create well-rounded, well-informed and independent individuals. Mallika Sarabhai spoke to MCR from Ahmedabad.

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