# Indu Mitha > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Indu_Mitha > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Indu_Mitha.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indu_Mitha > Source revision: 1351787710 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Pakistani dancer and choreographer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Use Pakistani English|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Indu Mitha | spouse = [Aboobaker Osman Mitha](/source/Aboobaker_Osman_Mitha) | children = Tehreema Mitha | parents = Gyanesh Chandra Chatterjee | relatives = [Uma Anand](/source/Uma_Anand) (sister) }} '''Indu Mitha''' (née Chatterjee) (born 1929) is a Pakistani exponent of [Bharatnatyam](/source/Bharatnatyam){{cite news |title=The Raqs Revival dance extravaganza |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/680770/the-raqs-revival-dance-extravaganza |work=The Express Tribune |date=9 March 2014 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=From Bharatnatyam to Disco Deewane |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/850388/from-bharatnatyam-to-disco-deewane |work=The Express Tribune |date=9 March 2015 |language=en}}{{cite thesis |last1=Aslam |first1=Feriyal Amal |title=Choreographing [in] Pakistan: Indu Mitha, Dancing Occluded histories in "The Land of the Pure" |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8km963tz |publisher=UCLA |language=en |date=2012}} and one of only two{{Clarify|date=November 2020}} in the nation (the other being [Sheema Kirmani](/source/Sheema_Kirmani)).{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/Bharatanatyam-in-the-time-of-the-Taliban/article16583554.ece | title= Bharatanatyam in the time of the Taliban | date=23 June 2009 | first=Nirupama | last=Subramanian | newspaper=The Hindu | accessdate=6 July 2020 }} She also remained a faculty member at the [Rawalpindi campus of the National College of the Arts](/source/National_College_of_Arts), from which she has retired.[http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=104680 NCA’s ‘Spotlight’ to feature Indu Mitha] The News, Pakistan - 3 April 2008 == Early life == Indu Mitha was born in Lahore in 1929 as Indu Chatterjee, into a [Bengali Christian](/source/Bengali_people) family of [Brahmin](/source/Brahmin) heritage that had converted to [Christianity](/source/Christianity). She studied MA philosophy from Delhi University in 1951.{{cite news |title=Indu Mitha's 90th birthday celebration was an evening of storytelling {{!}} Art & Culture {{!}} thenews.com.pk |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/631943-the-maestro-and-her-daughter |work=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}} Her father, Gyanesh Chandra Chatterjee, was a professor of [philosophy](/source/philosophy) and president of the [Government College in Lahore](/source/Government_College%2C_Lahore), which was where Mitha grew up.Tikekar 337 Her elder sister [Uma Anand](/source/Uma_Anand) married famous [Bollywood](/source/Bollywood) director [Chetan Anand](/source/Chetan_Anand_(director)).{{Cite news |last=Mitha |first=Indu |title=In Memory of my Guru, Zohra Ji- by Indu Mitha. - Tehreema Mitha Dance Company |url=http://tmdancecompany.org/blog/in-memory-of-my-guru-zohra-ji-by-indu-mitha/ |access-date=2018-03-25 |work=Tehreema Mitha Dance Company |language=en-us}} Her family moved to [Delhi](/source/Delhi) from Lahore during the [Partition of India](/source/Partition_of_India). In [Delhi](/source/Delhi), she learned [Bharatanatyam](/source/Bharatanatyam) from Vijay Raghava Rao and Shrimati Lalita.[https://www.dawn.com/news/296584/dance-is-thought-and-feeling-says-indu-mitha Dance is thought and feeling, says Indu Mitha] DAWN - 4 April 2008 Mitha learnt modern expressional dance from the iconic choreographer and actress [Zohra Sehgal](/source/Zohra_Sehgal).{{cite news |date=4 April 2008 |title=New generation lacks stamina for art: Indu Mitha |url=https://zeenews.india.com/home/new-generation-lacks-stamina-for-art-indu-mitha_434663.html |work=Zee News |language=en}} After Independence, Mitha continued her dance training at Sangeet Bharat School and then later from S.V.Lalita.{{cite web |title=PechaKucha 20x20 |url=https://www.pechakucha.com/users/indu-mitha#show |website=www.pechakucha.com}} ==Career== In the years following her husband's retirement, Mitha began teaching [Bharatnatyam](/source/Bharatnatyam) in [Lahore](/source/Lahore). Her first position was at the Lahore Grammar school, where she became a celebrated dance teacher. Her students and she were even able to put on a full-on performance at the end of her first teaching sojourn. Her early performances were at private all-women parties, military functions, and Red Cross charity shows or in front of the All Pakistan Women's Association.[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8177057.stm Veteran dancer wins over Pakistan] BBC News - 11 August 2009 She now does one show a year for private audiences, mostly all-women groups, due to the heightened atmosphere linked to the increasing Islamization in Pakistan. Mitha ran an academy/school "Mazmoon e Shauq" to teach classical dance where she taught many students like [Amna Mawaz Khan](/source/Amna_Mawaz_Khan).{{cite news |title=Indu Mitha's students mesmerize audience |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/145166/indu-mitha-s-students-mesmerize-audience |work=DAWN.COM |date=26 June 2005 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Yasin |first1=Aamir |title=LIVING COLOURS: 'Future of classical dance, music in Pakistan is very bright' |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1307859 |work=DAWN.COM |date=12 January 2017 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Mausikar arranges thrilling performance of dance and music |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/85056-Mausikar-arranges-thrilling-performance-of-dance-and-music |work=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Indu Mitha mesmerizes audience at Lok Virsa |url=https://www.magazine.app.com.pk/art-culture/indu-mitha-mesmerizes-audience-at-lok-virsa/ |work=PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVES |language=en |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=11 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211150524/https://www.magazine.app.com.pk/art-culture/indu-mitha-mesmerizes-audience-at-lok-virsa/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Performing for a cause: Classical dances, music make for a charming evening |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/610970/performing-for-a-cause-classical-dances-music-make-for-a-charming-evening |work=The Express Tribune |date=28 September 2013 |language=en}} ==Adaptations== To suit [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan)i cultural and religious norms, Mitha has altered the [performance](/source/performance) and style of the Bharatnatyam she teaches. She has composed Bharatnatyam songs in Urdu, due to her lack of understanding of [Tamil](/source/Tamil_language), [Telugu](/source/Telugu_language) or [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit), the three languages Bharatnatyam [song](/source/song)s are traditionally composed in. == Personal life == In 1951, she married Captain [Aboobaker Osman Mitha](/source/Aboobaker_Osman_Mitha), a [Mumbai](/source/Mumbai) [Memon](/source/Memon_people) against the wishes of her family, and moved back to [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan) with him.{{cite news |last1=Faruqi |first1=Asif Aqeel |date=2 October 2016 |title=Caste away: The ongoing struggle of Punjabi Christians |url=https://herald.dawn.com/news/1153539 |work=Herald Magazine |language=en}} Their daughter, Tehreema Mitha is an accomplished [Bharatnatyam](/source/Bharatnatyam) dancer.[http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2008-weekly/nos-01-06-2008/enc.htm Struggling to dance] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509211803/http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2008-weekly/nos-01-06-2008/enc.htm|date=2009-05-09}} Jang - June 2008{{cite news |last1=Reporter |first1=The Newspaper's Staff |date=1 March 2020 |title=Tribute to classical dancer Indu Mitha |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1537440 |work=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Bettmann |first1=Rob |title=Tehreema Mitha on "The Scent of My Earth"Bourgeon {{!}} Bourgeon |url=http://bourgeononline.com/2007/04/tehreema-mitha-on-scent-of-my-earth/}} ==Awards== Mitha received President’s Award for [Pride of Performance Awards (2020–2029)](/source/Pride_of_Performance_Awards_(2020%E2%80%932029)) in August, 2020.{{cite news |title=DG PNCA Fouzia Saeed greets award recipients |url=https://nation.com.pk/18-Aug-2020/dg-pnca-fouzia-saeed-greets-award-recipients |work=The Nation |date=18 August 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Reporter |first1=The Newspaper's Staff |title=Posthumous Nishan-i-Imtiaz for Sadequain, Ahmad Faraz |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1574460 |work=DAWN.COM |date=15 August 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=President confers civil awards to 184 Pakistanis, foreigners for excellence, services |url=https://nation.com.pk/14-Aug-2020/president-confers-civil-awards-to-184-pakistanis-foreigners-for-excellence-services |work=The Nation |date=14 August 2020 |language=en}} ==Notes== *{{cite book |title=Across the Wagah: an Indian's sojourn in Pakistan |last=Tikekar |first=Monisha |year=2004 |publisher=Promilla & Co. in association with Bibliophile South Asia |location=New Delhi }} ==References== {{reflist}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitha, Indu}} Category:1929 births Category:Living people Category:Bengali women artists Category:Pakistani Christians Category:Entertainers from Lahore Category:Pakistani choreographers Category:Women choreographers Category:Pakistani female dancers Category:Pakistani dancers Category:Pakistani music educators Category:Pakistani dance teachers Category:Pakistani people of Bengali descent Category:Bharatanatyam dancers Category:20th-century women artists Category:20th-century dancers Category:Pakistani women music educators Category:Teachers of Indian classical dance Category:Recipients of the Pride of Performance Category:Indian emigrants to Pakistan Category:People from Punjab Province (British India) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Indu Mitha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indu_Mitha) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indu_Mitha?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.