Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Sangeet Natak Akademi honours Odissi exponent Shubhada Varadkar
Shubhada Varadkar is a dancer from Mumbai, India, who performs Odissi, a beautiful classical dance known for its flowing movements.
She just received a very important award called the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, which honors India's best artists.
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, gave her the award at a big ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan.
Shubhada is 65 years old and grew up in a family of doctors, lawyers, and freedom fighters.
Her parents were freedom fighters who took part in the Quit India Movement.
She started serious dance training as a teenager, first learning Bharatanatyam, and then fell in love with Odissi after attending a workshop by the famous dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra.
She also worked as a college professor while pursuing dance.
Her cousin Leo Varadkar was the Prime Minister of Ireland.
Shubhada got very sick with cancer two times, but she beat it both times and even wrote books about it.
Now she continues to dance and is writing a new book about the history of Odissi.
Shubhada Varadkar, a 65-year-old Odissi exponent from Mumbai, was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Odissi by President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhavan.
She is the first cousin of Leo Varadkar, former Prime Minister of Ireland and the country's first openly gay head of state.
Her parents, Manohar and Manik Varadkar, were freedom fighters who participated in the Quit India Movement.
She began with Bharatanatyam training under Guru Shri Mani and later learned Odissi under legendary guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, including at his gurukul in Bhubaneswar.
A two-time cancer survivor (2006 and 2025), she has written two books about the experience and is working on a new one about Odramagadhi, the precursor of Odissi.
- Who
- Shubhada Varadkar, a 65-year-old Mumbai-based Odissi exponent; the award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu.
- What
- Shubhada Varadkar received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Odissi.
- When
- The award was conferred on Thursday at a ceremony; the article does not state the exact date.
- Where
- Vigyan Bhavan, at a ceremony officiated by President Droupadi Murmu.
- Why
- In recognition of her work as an Odissi exponent.
- Award
- Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Odissi
- Recipient
- Shubhada Varadkar, 65, based in Mumbai
- Presented by
- President Droupadi Murmu
- Venue
- Vigyan Bhavan
- Family
- First cousin of Leo Varadkar, former PM of Ireland
- Training
- Bharatanatyam under Guru Shri Mani; Odissi under Kelucharan Mohapatra
- Career
- Former professor of economics at RR Ruia College, Mumbai
- Health
- Two-time cancer survivor (2006 and 2025)