Debi Basu

Debi Basu is a leading exponent of the Indian classical dance form of Odissi. She is known for the emotive potency of her choreographies. One of the senior disciples of the legendary Padmavibhushan Guru
Kelucharan Mohapatra, she spent her early career travelling, learning and performing with him in the true Guru-Shishya tradition of India.
Debi co-founded Sanyuktam Arts Foundation, an institution based in Mumbai dedicated to promote and carry on the legacy of her Guru.https://twitter.com/ncpamumbai/status/993785708941795329 She continues to choreograph and teach at her school in Sri Subramania Samaj Chembur, Mumbai and virtually to her numerous international students.
== Early life ==
Born to a traditional Bengali family, Debi did her schooling from Victoria Institution, Kolkata. She graduated with a Bachelor in Science degree from Gokhale College, Kolkata. Since her childhood, Debi showed keen interest in dance and other performing arts. She married Tapan Basu and moved to Mumbai in 1974.
== Career ==
In 1980, encouraged by her husband, she decided to follow her dream and pursue her passion to learn the then burgeoning form of Odissi. Her friend, Protima Bedi told her about Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s first Odissi workshop that was scheduled to take place at Patadik, Kolkata. Debi decided to travel to Kolkata to meet Guruji and learn from him.
She gave her debut performance in 1982 at the Park Circus Music Conference in Kolkata while accompanying her Guru. She was part of the Indian delegation for the 'Festival of India' in 1987.https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/Legacy-reinvented/article16992526.ece She performed across Russia along with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi and Kumkum Mohanty. 
Debi spent years accompanying her Guru around India and internationally, attending his workshops and performing alongside him. She has most often played the heroine or nayika in Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s dance ballets including Geeta Govindam and Jatayu Moksha.https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/once-upon-a-sunday/articleshow/16006079.cms
The 1990s saw Debi collaborating with fellow artists - Daksha Mashruwala, Anandi Ramachandran and Jhelum Paranjpe under the guidance of her Guru to present many highly acclaimed performances.https://www.ncpamumbai.com/event/8-classical-dances-of-india-odissi-by-daksha-mashruwala-jhelum-paranjpe-and-debi-basu/ Vande Mataram was created in 1997 to celebrate the 50th year of Indian independence.
In 1998, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra collaborated yet again with Debi, Daksha and Anandi to launch Premabhakti (Narada’s bhakti yoga) with the musical accompaniment by the famous Indian singer Shri. Anup Jalota. 
In 2003, she brought out her next collaborative work, Kalidasa’s Nayikas. Based on the poetic verses of the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa the dance ballet is a depiction of ‘prakriti’, the feminine, understood both as the nayikas that inhabit his plays as well as the world of nature in which the nayikas unfold their feelings.
Debi has also performed internationally and choreographed for the renowned filmmaker, Mira Nair.https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bbd4b65d5
== Choreographies ==
She is known for her compositions based on the works of the Nobel Laureate writer and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore.https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do/article/a-moving-tribute-23226100 She has also created abstract choreographies with her signature seemingly unhurried, soft movements that are grounded on complex mathematical taal.http://www.pulseconnects.com/aprajita-resilient-artist 
In 2012, she choreographed a Mangalacharan, the opening invocation in praise of Lord Shiva; set to Chidambareshwara stotram (Krupa Samudram Sumukham Trinetram).
Pallavi is the centerpiece of Odissi classical repertoire that emphasizes its ornate stylistic aspect. It is a visual elaboration of ‘Raga’. Debi has choreographed pallavis to raga Madhuvanti (2008) and Ahir Bhairav (2021).https://narthaki.com/info/rev08/rev583.html 
In 2019 Debi choreographed Ki hela re… based on a champu (an alliterative poetic composition peculiar to Odia classical literature) by the celebrated Odia poet Kabisurya Baladev Rath. This was followed by a ‘Janana’ in 2022 by the same poet. ‘Janana’, a peculiar devotional Odia poetic piece is nuanced by its conversational style between a devotee and his lord Krishna.
In 2022, Debi created and produced Sagorika based on Tagore's poetry, ‘Sagorika' written in the late 1920s.https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do/article/a-moving-tribute-23226100 A unique production both visually and musically; it brought together dancers and musicians from different cultural backgrounds across India. Debi interprets ‘Sagorika’ to emphasise the need to preserve long standing bonds among people of different geographies brought about by several years of peaceful cultural interactions and exchange. Sagorika premiered to a full-house at the National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai on May 8, 2022.
== Personal Life ==
Debi Basu was born in a traditional Bengali family and spent her childhood in the city of Kolkata. In 1974, she married Shri Tapan Basu, a renowned sculptor and muralist who was then a young scientist working at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. Tapan Basu creatively contributed and collaborated as a production designer, light designer and visual co-artist in most of her productions. He designed the logo for Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s dance institution Srjanhttps://www.srjan.com/history_srjan_odissinrityabasa.php symbolising the principle of ‘Shakti’.
Debi Basu lives in Mumbai with her family and continues to teach and guide the next generation of Odissi dancers. In her own words Debi says “ Guruji was not only a dancer…. he was an exceptional engineer, painter, mason, sound recordist and much more. Inspiration is always available in different avatars. Why limit yourself to only dance?’ 
Category:Indian people
Category:Indian dancers