Minati Mishra

Minati Mishra, née Minati Das,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6oF1W6N7sg0C&q=Minati+Mishra&pg=PA263 |title=My Life, My Work |publisher=Allied Publishers |author=Ashok Mohanty |year=2011 |pages=412 |isbn=9788184246407}} was born in 1929 in Cuttack, now in the Indian state of Odisha, to Basanta Kumar Das, a local school headmaster, as the youngest of his three children.{{cite web |url=http://www.radhubabu.com/minatimishra/biography.htm |title=Radhu Babu Bio |publisher=Radhu Babu |year=2014 |access-date=29 November 2014}} She started to learn dance and music at an early age, theme-based dance under the tutelage of Ajit Ghosh and Banabihari Maity and Odissi from Kabichandra Kalicharan Patnayak, an Odissi dancer. In 1950, Minati Mishra started learning under Kelucharan Mahapatra, the well-known Odissi guru.

In 1954, Minati Mishra joined Kalakshetra of Rukmini Devi Arundale, on a scholarship from the Government of Odisha, and learned Bharatanatyam for one year under Kutty Sarada and Peria Sarada.{{cite web |url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/profiles/profil58.html |title=Peria Sarada |publisher=Narthaki |year=2014 |access-date=30 November 2014}} The next year, she joined the Indian Institute of Free Arts for training under Pandanallur Chokkalingam Pillai and Meenakshisundaram Pillai. She debuted in 1956, the first of several performances she rendered, during the next three years, at a number of major cities in India. In 1959, she was invited to Switzerland by the International Photographic Association, and performed in Zurich, Lucerne, Geneva and Winterthur. Three years later, she was awarded a doctoral degree{{cite web |url=http://www.urvasidance.com/gallery/oRDissi/dancers/minati1.htm |title=Urvasi Dance |publisher=Urvasi Dance |year=2014 |access-date=30 November 2014}} in Indology from the Philipp University of Marburg, Germany for a thesis on Natyashastra. In 1963, she was invited for a performance at the Berlin Film Festival. She was noted for her expressive (Bhava) and dramatization (Abhinaya) skills.{{cite web |url=http://www.radhubabu.com/minatimishra/accomplishment.htm |title=Radhu Babu Achievements |year=2014 |publisher=Radhu Babu |access-date=29 November 2014}}

Mishra acted in five Odia films. Her debut film Suryamukhi was released in 1963, followed by Jeevan Sathi, Sadhana, and Arundhati. All four received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Odia.{{cite web |url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm10thNFAAward.aspx |title=Suryamukhi |year=2014 |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |access-date=30 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929062243/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm10thNFAAward.aspx |archive-date=29 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm11thNFAAward.aspx |title=Jeeban Sathi |year=2014 |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |access-date=30 November 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170502124428/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm11thNFAAward.aspx |archive-date=2 May 2017 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm12thNFAAward.aspx |title=Sadhana |publisher=Directorate of Film Festival |year=2014 |access-date=30 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225220334/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm12thNFAAward.aspx |archive-date=25 February 2012 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/15th_nff_1967.pdf |title=15th National Film Awards |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |access-date=21 September 2011}} She also acted in a 1963 Bengali film, Nirjana Saikate in which she has performed an Odissi dance number choreographed by Kelucharan Mahapatra.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smQfRokU79o |title=Nirjana Saikate |publisher=Nirjana Saikate |date=28 November 2013 |access-date=30 November 2014}} Apart from her film career she was also an A Grade artist at the All India Radio and was a recipient of Sangeet Prabhakar title for Hindustani vocal music.{{cite web |url=http://www.radhubabu.com/minatimishra/home.htm |title=Radhu Babu Intro |publisher=Radhu Babu |year=2014 |access-date=29 November 2014}}

Mishra was the principal of the Utkal Sangeet Mohavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar{{cite web |url=http://www.usmodisha.in/ |title=USM |year=2014 |publisher=USM |access-date=30 November 2014 |archive-date=5 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205053058/http://www.usmodisha.in/ |url-status=dead}} from 1964 till 1989. During her tenure there, the institution regularised its curriculum, academically formalised Odissi dance and music training, introduced theatrical aspects into the syllabus and established examination guidelines, all of which are reported to have helped in the revival of Odissi. The stint at the institution also gave her opportunity to work alongside the first-generation gurus of Odissi such as Pankaj Charan Das and Deba Prasad Das.{{cite web |url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/tdhc/tdhc23.html |title=Deb Prasad Das |year=2014 |publisher=Narthaki |access-date=30 November 2014}}

Soon after the death of her husband, Nityananda Mishra, who was an engineer, in 1980, Mishra retired from dance performances and formally retired in 1990. She settled in Switzerland and devoted her time to dance festivals, lecture tours and workshops in Switzerland, Canada and India.

She died on 6 January 2020 in Switzerland.{{Cite web |title=Eminent Odissi dancer Minati Mishra passes away at 91 in Switzerland |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/jan/06/eminent-odissi-dancer-minati-mishra-passes-away-at-91-in-switzerland-2085821.html |work=The New Indian Express |date=6 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020}}

Her films include:

Mishra was a recipient of the 1975 Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.{{cite web |url=http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2011/pdf/104-108.pdf |title=OSN Award |publisher=Government of Orissa |access-date=30 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502001534/http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2011/pdf/104-108.pdf |archive-date=2 May 2014}} She also received the Kalinga Shastriya Sangeet Parishad Award and in 2000, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.{{cite web |url=http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/awardeeslist.htm |title=SNA |publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi |year=2014 |access-date=30 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530204253/http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/awardeeslist.htm |archive-date=30 May 2015}} In 2012, the Government of India awarded her the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of India.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{imdb name|1166410}}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smQfRokU79o |title=Nirjana Saikate (1963, Bengali) – Odissi dance by Minati Mishra |via=YouTube |date=28 November 2013 |access-date=29 November 2014}}
• {{cite web |url=http://pad.ma/BOR/info |title=International Odissi Festival 2011: Minati Mishra performs Nindati chandanam and Nirvikalpa Stotra |publisher=Pad.ma |year=2014 |access-date=29 November 2014}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}

{{Padma Award winners of Odisha}}

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Category:1929 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts

Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Category:People from Cuttack

Category:Odissi exponents

Category:Indian film actresses

Category:Indian female classical dancers

Category:20th-century Indian women artists

Category:Actresses from Odisha

Category:20th-century Indian dancers

Category:Dancers from Odisha

Category:20th-century Indian actresses

Category:Women artists from Odisha