Renowned danseuse Amala Shankar passes away at the age of 101 in Kolkata

Renowned danseuse Amala Shankar passed away in Kolkata on Friday at the age of 101. On Friday morning, her granddaughter, Sreenanda Shankar, shared a tweet about her demise “at the age of 101”. Her tweet read, “Today my Thamma left us at the age of 101. We just celebrated her birthday last month. Feeling so restless that there is no flight from Mumbai to Kolkata. Heartbroken May her soul Rest in peace. This is an end of an era. Love you Thamma. Thank you everything."(sic). She also shared a few pictures of her late grandmother.

Amala Shankar's death

An hour after Sreenanda Shankar broke the news of Amala's demise, she wrote a note on Facebook which read, "Overwhelmed with the love and concern pouring in from the media. On the passing of my Grandmother. Humbly requesting for some privacy to mourn our loss."

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On June 27,  the veteran danseuse celebrated her 101st birthday with her family. “For my mother, any dance composition needs to have a story to tell and a message to give,” said Mamata Shankar on composing a choreography on her mother’s birthday, adding, “We celebrate a birthday with dhan dubbo, alpona, payesh, panch-phuler jol— five flower-infused water. When I was young, I saw my mother doing everything single-handedly. As I grew up I took over and now the next generation is following the tradition.”

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Amala Shankar, along with her husband, late Uday Shankar, was instrumental in taking Indian dance forms to the world. She was also known for modernising it with elaborate choreography and costumes. She was a part of Uday Shankar's iconic film, Kalpana that holds a special place in Indian film history.

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