Indrani Rahman

Infobox actor
name = Indrani Rahman


imagesize =
caption =
birthname = Indrani Bajpai
birthdate = Birth date|1930|9|19|mf=y
location = Chennai, British India
deathdate = death date and age|1999|2|5|1930|9|19|mf=y
deathplace = New York, USA
occupation = Indian classical dancer, choreographer,
yearsactive =
spouse = Habib Rahman
othername =
awards = 1969: [Padma Shri]
1981: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Indrani Rahman (September 19, 1930, Chennai - February 5, 1999, New York) was a notable Indian classical dancer, of Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Odissi, which she popularized in the west, and later settled in New York in 1976.

In 1952, she won Miss India contest. Later, she joined her mother Ragini Devi's company. She popularized the Indian classical dance form, Odissi during her international tours. Indrani had received the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in the performing arts and also the Taraknath Das Award.

Biography

Indrani Rahman was born on September 19, 1930, in Chennai, (then Madras) to Ramalal Balram Bajpai (1880-1962), an Indian nationalist and president of the Indo-American League, and Esther Luella Sherman born in Petoskey, Michigan in 1893 [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=WSaMu4F06AQC&pg=PA174&lpg=PA174&dq=Indrani+Rahman&source=web&ots=UG21ibydVs&sig=Ux8Bp1Lkdv_6Dksce8KAtbaZo-A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result#PPA172,M1 Ragini Devi Biography] "Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth Century", by Susan Ware, Stacy Lorraine Braukman, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 067401488X, 9780674014886. "Page 172-173". ] , (died 1982) [ [http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit03042002/bookreview.asp Book Review] South Asian Women Forum] , who changed her name to 'Ragini Devi', once the couple moved to India, in 1920s [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990218/ai_n14213909 Obituary: Indrani Rehman] by Kuldip Singh, " The Independent " (London), Feb 18, 1999 ] , when Ramlal Bajpai, a chemist turned successful importer in US, returned to India and later remained Asst. Editor to the "Young India" magazine, published by Lala Lajpat Rai; after Independence of India, he became the Consulate General of India at New York [ [http://members.authorsguild.net/sukanya/imagelib/Nagpur-final-ve.jpgRamalal Balram Bajpai - Biography] ] . Ragini on her part became renowned all over the world for her role in revival of Indian classical dance in the 1930's , especially Kathakali, after her fateful encounter with the great rajadasi, Jetti Tayamma in Karnataka, from whom she started learning Bharata Natyam, and also from Gauri Amma of Chennai [ [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2001/10/28/stories/2001102800130501.htm Rhythm of the new millennium] Leela Venkatraman, "The Hindu", Oct 28, 2001.] [ [http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2002/09/22/stories/2002092200110400.htm Dancing through their lives] "The Hindu", September 22, 2002.] [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00D15F73555157B93CBA91789D95F408485F9&scp=8&sq=Indrani%20Rehman&st=cse HINDU DANCES PRESENTED; Ragini Devi Seen in Theatre of All Nations Performance] "New York Times", December 9, 1944.] .

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 with Bharata Natyam, having learnt the Pandanallur style of Bharata Natyam from Guru Chokkalingam Pillai (1893–1968) in 1940s. Soon she was in Vijaywada, learning Kuchipudi from Korada Narsimha Rao, with whom she later toured may parts of the world [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=ibPELNiEhKwC&pg=PA190&dq=Indrani+Rahman&sig=ACfU3U37jMUE-q2vVVAG4dnbpiSq2OOlzA Indrani Rahman] "Kuchipudi: Kūcipūdi : Indian Classical Dance Art", by Sunil Kothari, Avinash Pasricha. Abhinav Publications, 2001. ISBN 8170173590, 9788170173595. "190".] .

In 1947, Indrani attracted the attention of India's leading dance and art critic Dr. Charles Fabri, who later encouraged her to go to Orissa and learn the little known classical dance form of Odissi, 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 popularize it, through performance in various parts of India and the world [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=Lif-Ct05aVgC&pg=PA210&dq=%22Indrani+Rehman%22&sig=ACfU3U2kSGXepvkS4-PBpry0OquzGPMXVA Indrani Rahman] "India's Dances: Their History, Technique, and Repertoire", by Reginald Massey. Abhinav Publications, 2004. ISBN 8170174341. "page 210."] [ [http://www.indischerverein-stuttgart.de/guest503.htm Guests] " Stuttgart - Bharatiya Mujlis. " ] .

In 1952, already married, and with a child, she became the first Miss India [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0917F6395F177B93C6A9178FD85F468585F9&scp=4&sq=Indrani%20Rehman&st=cse MISS INDIA' IS PICKED; Architect's Wife Wins Boycotted Beauty Contest's Final] "New York Times", April 4, 1952.] [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F0091FF63D5E177B93C7A9178FD85F468585F9&scp=6&sq=Indrani%20Rehman&st=cse Indian Press Hails National Beauty Contest Won by Shapely Half-American in Her Sari] "New York Times", April 5, 1952.] , and went on to compete in the Miss Universe 1952 Pageant, held at Long Beach, California [ [http://www.geocities.com/noveltydatanet/jobiantonysitefile/Miss/ Miss India] ] . Soon, she travelling along with her mother and performing all over the world [ [http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-http%253A%252F%252Fnaa12.naa.gov.au%252Fscripts%252FSearchOld.asp%253FO%253DPSI2%2526Number%253D8888373 Indrani Rahman] National Library of Australia.] . In 1961, she was the first dancer presented on a national tour by the Asia Society, and also performed for US President John F. Kennedy and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, during Nehru's official visit to Washington D.C. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E4D9153BF93BA35751C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print Indrani, Performer of Classical Indian Dance, Dies at 68] "New York Times", February 8, 1999.] , and in the following years she also performed for Emperor Haile Selassie, Queen Elizabeth II, Mao Tse-Tung, Nikita Khruschev, and Fidel Castro [ [http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/19990415/ile15112.html In Remembrance] "Indian Express", April 15, 1999.] . In 1976 she became a faculty member of the Juilliard Dance School at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, taught in various American universities, including the Harvard, and spent remaining two decades in the United States, touring extensively.

She died on February 5, 1999 in Manhattan, New York.

Awards

* 1952: Femina Miss India
* 1969: Padma Shri [ [http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php Padma Shri - Indrani Rahman] Padma Shri Official listing at "Govt. of India" website.]
* 1981: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award [ [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/programmes_recognition&honours_dance_bharatanatyam.html Sangeet Natak Akademi Award – “Bharata Natyam] Sangeet Natak Akademi Award official listing.]

Personal life

She married Habib Rahman (1915-1995), a well-known architect, in 1945, the couple had a son, artist, Ram Rahman, and a daughter, Sukanya Rahman (Wicks) [ [http://www.sukanyarahman.com/ Sukanya Rahman Website] ] , who also danced with her mother and grandmother, and grandsons, Wardreath Wicks and Habib Wicks.

Further reading

* "Dancing In The Family", by Sukanya Rahman. 2001, Harper Collins India, ISBN 8172234384.
* " [http://books.google.com/books?id=KRz5ykKRVAEC&pg=PA7&dq=Indrani+Rahman&sig=ACfU3U2gv6fM5F6R9LSAH3K0PJcR8mqAKg Dance dialects of India] ", by Ragini Devi. Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1990. ISBN 8120806743, 9788120806740.

References

External links

* [http://www.ramrahman.com/Sites-Pages/Indrani%20Habib%20Intro.html Photo feature on Indrani and Habib Rahman at Ram Rahman website]