Shobha Deepak Singh

Shobha Deepak Singh (born 21 October 1943) is an Indian cultural impresario, photographer, writer, classical dancer and the director of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, a Delhi-based cultural organization which promotes music and performing arts, through its schools and stage shows. She is known for her contributions for the revival of Mayurbhanj Chhau, a tribal martial dance form from Odisha. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri in 1999, for her contributions to Arts and culture.

Biography

Shobha was born to Lala Charat Ram of DCM and Sumitra Charat Ram, the renowned art doyenne and Padma Shri winner, on 21 October 1943, in the Indian capital of New Delhi. While managing the Kamini Auditorium of the Kendra, she pursued her studies to secure the degree of Bachelor of Performing Arts and studied dance under Shambhu Maharaj and Birju Maharaj and Music under Biswajit Roy Chowdhury and Amjad Ali Khan. and studied theatre direction, securing a diploma in 1996. She continued her association with Alkazi and worked as his assistant in four of Alkazi's productions namely, Three Sisters, Three Greek Tragedies, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Death of a Salesman.

Singh, a recipient of the 1999 Padma Shri honours, Several renowned artists and art teachers like Ravi Shankar, Birju Maharaj, Amjad Ali Khan, Shambhu Maharaj and Shovana Narayan are associated with the organization. She has also instituted an annual award, Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement, to honour excellence in Art, Birju Maharaj receiving the inaugural award in 2011

Singh is an accomplished photographer, covering many of the functions of SBKK personally. Since then, she has exhibited her works at various places, including the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi and the Nehru Centre, London (2011). In 2013, Alka Pande curated her exhibition, displaying 250 of Singh's works at the India Habitat Centre on 25 March 2013 where a book, Dancescapes: A Photographic Journey, She has also written a book on Indian theatre, under the title, Theatre Escapes: Experiencing Rasas.