The Lady with her Zeal:- Mamata Shankar

She twinkled in 'Mrigaya' and she glitters till now - she is Mamata Shankar. Born in the truest sense cultured family she trained herself as a dancer. Dance was in her veins and she wanted to show the zeal on screen. Waiting for opportunity she ultimately appeared with then not so popular Mithun Chakravorty in Mrinal Sen's 'Mrigaya'. Mamata was offered the role of Santhal girl whose culture she was not much aware of but the dancer in her helped her out in giving expression and shading tones to the character she played. It was hard enough for city dweller Mamata to potray the sawthali girl but an easy job for Uday Shankar's daughter.

Like that, of Satyajit Ray, Mamata Shankar could not get the training from her father Uday, but her mother Amala stood out to be the sole inspiration. Being completely mother's product she is tonned up with father's creativity and rhythm. Her father was the author of well-versed imagination. His 'Kalpana', was an experiment as well as a thesis on evolution of dance.

Ganashatru, Shakha Prashaka and Aguntuk are three different types of celluloid expressions. The director was definitely the 'Great One', but Mamata's presentation in distinctive characterisation is as beautiful as she is. Satyajit Ray was a touch stone and he properly assessed an actress whose appearance would, please the audience even if she is consecutively repeated. It would not be a flaw to say that Satyajit did not clare to present his favourite' Madhabi on successive presentation with act intervals.

Tapati in Ganashatru was a firm and erect lady who stood beside her father as constant inspiration in human activities and was not shattered with the devastating situation created by his "autis". The same Mamata figures a beautiful and responsible "Bou Ma" in Shakha Proshaka. And swear by god, that none else but she could so naturally show the art of eating delicious, Hilsa (remember dining table scene!) and very impressively she identified herself with the commoisiure of music.

Last but not the least is Satyajit's "Agantuk", where she featured the most beloved niece of Manmohan Mitra (Utpal Dutta). The ecstasy, the insecurity, the appeasing mentality, reverence and repentance were all portrayed with just shades and contours by the talented lady. That she is a dancer was astonishingly revealed in her body language in the Santhal dance in the said film.

She is a good housewife. An affectionate and responsible mother, a good dance tutor and at the same time linked up with "screen shows" be it big or small. The bengali mega serial 'Janmobhoomi' has allotted an important role for her and she with her pleasing and dignified personality has been attracting quite a number of T.V. viewer. In her stepping from Mrinal's 'Mrigaya' to Rituparno's 'Utsaav' - she has kept the audience delighted and fulfilled their expectation.

Odissi kala Kendra

Odissi Dance Academy is a division of Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar. Guru Shree Gangadhar Pradhan is the Director of this academy.

Mamata Shankar Ballet Troupe

Their journey began in 1977 as ‘Stradivarius’ with a handful of young music enthusiasts, forming a choral group alongwith a few dancers.

Contribution of Famous Personalities

Bengal is proud of its rich cultural heritage.Many prominemt people from all fields have contributed towars making it so.Uday Shankar inaugurated the creative form of dancing here.

Forms of Dance

The most famous forms of dance are Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Manipuri. Alongside the creative dance movement, inaugurated in India by Uday Shankar, the classical dance forms are well established in Calcutta and Bengal.

Schools of Dance

The rising generation of Calcutta dancers promises to match its predecessors' record. There are a number of institutions and schools teaching the various forms of dance to enable young men and women from Bengal to make their mark in the national and internationl scene.