Who is Amala Shankar? Know about late danseuse who passed away at the age of 101

Amala Shankar, the famous Indian dancer, recently passed away at the age of 101 in Kolkata. The late danseuse introduced the world to Indian dance forms along with her late husband Uday Shankar. She was also well known for modernising many Indian dance forms with her unique choreography and costumes. Let's take a look back at the world-famous danseuse's life. 

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Early Life

Amala Shankar was born in 1919 and her name was Amala Nandy. Her father,  Akhoy Kumar Nandy, wanted his children to always remain close to nature and develop an interest in the village lifestyle. In 1931, Amala visited the International Colonial Exhibition in Paris where she met Uday Shankar and his family, a man that would soon be her husband. 

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It is reported at that point of their meeting, Amala was wearing a frock and Uday Shankar's mother Hemangini Devi insisted that she wear a saree and offered it to young Amala. She later went on to join Uday's dance troupe and they travelled and performed across the world.  

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Marriage 

In 1939, Amala Shankar was staying in Chennai with the dance troupe when Uday came to meet her one night with a marriage proposal. Evidently, she accepted the proposal and the two got married a bit later in 1942. They had their first son in December that year and named him Ananda Shankar. Their daughter was born in January 1955 and was named Mamata Shankar. But peace couldn't be maintained for long in their marriage as rumours of Uday in an affair with a girl started flying around. During the last few years of Uday's life, the two lived separately. Uday died in 1977. 

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Film Work 

Amala Shankar was seen in one movie called Kalpana in 1948. The movie later went on to become a cult classic and still holds a prominent legacy. The film was written and co-produced by Amala's husband Uday and he also acted in the film. Amala played the character of Uma and attended the 2012 Cannes Film Festival where the film was screened. She was the youngest actor in the film.

Children and legacy 

Uday Shankar is a very well known artist and is renowned for making Indian dancing famous in the world. Along with him was Amala, whose efforts cannot be ignored. She worked hard when she was present in the dance troupe and also choreographed some dances. She also took care of costumes. Her son now is a renowned musician and her daughter is an actor. 

Promo Pic Credit: Sreenanda Shankar's Twitter