4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 15, 2026 05:34 AM ISTShubhada VaradkarCOMING FROM a family of illustrious academics, lawyers, freedom fighters and medical practitioners, Shubhada Varadkar grew up in a home where neither music nor dance was considered a vocation. Her mother was enthusiastic and encouraged her but there was no vision of a professional career. “There was no legacy of dance anywhere around. Nobody even knew what classical dance was. That atmosphere, however, did allow for democratic decision-making. When I wanted to dance, there was no resistance. My father said if you like it, do it,” says 65-year-old Mumbai-based Shubhada, who went on to choose dance as her path and was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Odissi on Thursday at Vigyan Bhavan by President Droupadi Murmu.“A recognition for your work always gives you extra energy but with that also comes the responsibility to be better at what you have been doing, improve on that,” says Shubhada.Daughter of freedom fighters Manohar and Manik Varadkar, who participated in the Quit India Movement, and granddaughter of famed pathologist V R Khanolkar, who was the first Dean of the Tata Memorial Cancer Research Institute and is considered the Father of Pathology and Medical Research in India, Shubhada is also the first cousin of Leo Varadkar, former PM of Ireland and the country’s first openly gay head of State. “We are very proud of Leo’s political career. Although he is a doctor, politics and social work are in the Varadkars’ lineage. He was inclined toward it from his school days,” she says.Shubhada is also the grand-niece of Savitri Bai Khanolkar (born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros) of Swiss origin, who designed the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award. Savitri Bai always claimed she was “born in Europe by mistake”, read the scriptures and was fluent in Hindi and Marathi. “She specially came to Mumbai to attend my aarangetram,” says Shubhada.Shubhada, who enjoyed dancing in school, began her official training as a dancer after her Class 10 results. Her parents set a condition to dance: she had to get a distinction and they would allow official training. She began Bharatanatyam training under Guru Shri Mani in Mumbai “because it was near the house”. Some years later, Odissi legend Kelucharan Mohapatra visited Mumbai’s National Centre for Performing Arts for a workshop. Shubhada got permission from her very “open-minded guru” to attend it. At the Centre, she fell in love with the lyricality, flow, and movement of Odissi. She would go on to study economics and went on to become a professor at RR Ruia College in Mumbai. She also learned from Mohapatra in Bhubaneswar at his gurukul.“I was very fortunate as I belong to the last batch that learned from him in the gurukul system. We saw him teach his senior students like Sanjukta Panigrahi. We stayed there and learned and there was no clock on a class or exams. It was learning for the purpose of learning. The choreography we do now is entirely his reflection. He would choreograph 50 different poses for one word and then teach one,” says Shubhada, who is also a two-time cancer survivor. She beat the illness once in 2006 and then in 2025, wrote two books about the experience and is working on a new one on Odramagadhi, the ancient regional style and primary precursor of Odissi. © The Indian Express Pvt LtdSuanshu Khurana is an award-winning journalist and music critic currently serving as a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is best known for her nuanced writing on Indian culture, with a specific focus on classical music, cinema, and the arts. Expertise & Focus Areas Khurana specializes in the intersection of culture and society. Her beat involves deep-dive reporting on: Indian Classical Music: She is regarded as a definitive voice in documenting the lineages (Gharanas) and evolution of Hindustani classical music. Cinema & Theatre: Her critiques extend beyond reviews to analyze the socio-political narratives within Indian cinema and theater. Cultural Heritage: She frequently profiles legendary artists and unearths stories about India’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Professional Experience At The Indian Express, Khurana is responsible for curating and writing features for the Arts and Culture pages. Her work is characterized by long-form journalism that offers intimate portraits of artists and rigorous analysis of cultural trends. She has been instrumental in bringing the stories of both stalwarts and upcoming artistes to the forefront of mainstream media. Find all stories by Suanshu Khurana here ... Read More Tags:Sangeet Natak AkademiAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement