Pratibha Prahlad

Prathibha Prahlad had her early training in dance under U..S Krishna Rao, Kalanidhi Narayanan and V.S. Muthuswamy Pillai and in Kuchipudi under Vempatti Chinna Satyam. By the time she was 20, she was an established professional dancer. Her career has taken her to platforms all over India and to festivals in over 50 countries.

Prahlad has a post-graduate degree in Mass Communications and has contributed articles to newspapers as well as producing, directing and acting in television serials. She has also authored books on dance and related subjects.

When she was 22, Karnataka CM Ramakrishna Hegde (senior to her by 36 years) invited her for lunch, and the two of them became lovers. They had twin boys in 1998. [1] Hegde died in 2004.

Prahlad founded both the Prasiddha Foundation and the Forum For Art Beyond Borders. She is artistic director and choreographer for the Prasiddha Dance Repertory and founder director of the Delhi International Arts Festival. She has sat on several government cultural committees and was the convener of the Culture Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 that designed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games.

Prahlad has been the subject of an Indian Postal Department stamp.

Prahlad is the recipient of numerous awards and titles. The Government of India awarded her the Padma Shri in 2016. She is the youngest recipient of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for dance (2001). She has also received the Karnataka State Government Award (2001), Sangeet Nritya Academy Award of Karnataka (1997).

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