The sixth edition of the Madhavi Festival brings to the capital a profound celebration of Bharatanatyam with ‘Darshan’, a solo performance by the acclaimed dancer Malavika Sarukkai. Presented by the Madhavi Foundation for Creative Excellence, this evocative presentation will be held on Friday, July 4, 2025, at 6:30 PM at Kamani Auditorium, Mandi House, New Delhi, with free entry on a first-come-first-served basis.
Renowned for her deeply spiritual and aesthetically rich approach to Bharatanatyam, Malavika Sarukkai will present four segments in an immersive 90-minute production that blends devotion, philosophy, and movement. Revisiting and refining choreographies she has developed over the years, Sarukkai’s Darshan seeks to evoke the sacred through a seamless synergy of dance and music.
Reflecting on the essence of the work, Sarukkai says, “Space, once energized, comes to life. The dancing body, in the moment, becomes the instrument of story-telling embodying divine energies. In Darshan, pan-Indian compositions in the language of dance unravel to celebrate the enduring legacy of India and its people.”
Curator of the Madhavi Festival, Rama Vaidyanathan, expressed her admiration, stating, “It is an honour to have Malavika Sarukkai, a dancer whom I have always admired for her in-depth understanding and interpretation of Bharatanatyam. She is one of India’s prima donnas and Madhavi Foundation is extremely delighted to host her performance in Delhi.”
A trailblazer in the world of Indian classical dance, Malavika Sarukkai has carved a distinctive space over five decades with choreographies that embody the incandescent beauty of Bharatanatyam, informed by a contemporary sensibility. Having made her stage debut at the age of twelve, she has performed at major festivals across India and internationally, earning recognition for her innovative explorations within traditional frameworks. Her journey has been captured in acclaimed documentaries such as Samarpanam and The Unseen Sequence, the latter of which premiered at the Lincoln Center’s Dance on Camera Festival. Her illustrious list of accolades includes the Padma Shri, Kalaimamani, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Mrinalini Sarabhai Award, and many more.
The Madhavi Festival is dedicated to the memory of Madhavi Gopalakrishnan, mother of Rama Vaidyanathan and her siblings Meera Khanna, Indira Nayar, and Col. Ravi Nair. It stands as a heartfelt tribute to her love for dance and commitment to nurturing the arts.
Joining Malavika Sarukkai on stage will be an accomplished musical ensemble comprising Neela Sukhanya on nattuvangam, Krithika Arvind on vocals, Nellai Balaji on mridangam, and T. V. Sukanya on violin, with Sharad Kulsreshta designing the lighting.
An evening with Darshan is not just a performance—it is a sacred experience where the classical form becomes a mirror to the divine, through the artistry of one of India’s most gifted performers. Delhi’s cultural connoisseurs are in for a sublime journey.
