BHUBANESWAR: June 20: For her outstanding contribution to Odishi, noted Odishi exponent from Odisha Sujata Mohapatra has been selected for Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2017. This was decided at the meeting of the General Council of the Akademi held on June 8 at Imphal in Manipur.
Sujata Mohapatra, born in the district of Balasore of Odisha, learnt the dance from Guru Sudhakar Sahu. Later she shifted to Bhubaneswar and got trained by legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She further married to Guru Kelucharan’s son Ratikant Mohapatra.
Sangeet Natak Academi on Tuesday announced that, a total of 42 artistes have been selected for the prestigious award. Sujata will receive the award with other personalities like Marathi Theatre actor and writer Abhiram Bhadkamkar, traditional musician from Rajastan Anwar Khan Manganiyar, Rama Vaidyanathan (Bharatnatyam), Shobha Koser (Kathak), Madambi Subramaniam (Kathakali), LN Oinam Ongbi Dhoni Devi (Manipuri), Deepika Reddy (Kuchipudi), Ramkrishna Talukdar (Sattriya), Janmajay Saibabu (Chhau) and Ashit Desai (music for dance).
Another Odishi Dancer, Janhabi Behera, was nominated to receive the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2017,an award given to an Indian artist who has made a mark as young talent in his or her respective fields of the performing art.
