Raindrop Festival has arrived in Mumbai, to begin its stage shows today

Duo Shravan and Kiran Ullal will perform bharatanatyam and yakshagana

In Mumbai, people eagerly look forward to two things - the rains and the Raindrops Festival," claims 63-year-old kathak dancer Uma Dogra. Dogra, the founder of the city's annual Raindrops Festival of Indian Classical Dance, is all set to host her 33rd show, starting today.

Dipti Routray

This two-day long stage show organised by Dogra and Samved Society for Performing Arts will witness nine performers who will bring to the city the diverse colours of classical dancing from across India. "I started this in 1991 when I was around 32-years-old," she recalls, adding, "I wanted a platform for young talents across the country. At that time, Mumbai was all about Bollywood. The festival that I started in the memory of my guru Pandit Durga Lalji of Jaipur Gharana of kathak, brought to the city the much-needed taste of Indian classical dance forms. It offered artistes a platform, which is not only appreciative of classical music but also takes interest in young and new talents from all over India."

Uma Dogra

Dogra, who calls herself a proud promoter of art, claims to have travelled the length and breadth of the country in person to recognise the talents that the city will see over the weekend. "Our curation is never limited to stars or students of famous gurus. We strive for raw talent that does not get as much recognition as it deserves. This year, for instance, we have Dipti Routray, a talented classical dancer from Odisha. Till now, we have managed to give a platform to over 400 performers over 33 years, some of whom have gone on to win the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and even the Sangeet Natak Akademi award."

The first day of the event will feature performances by Routray (odissi), Divya Warier (mohiniattam), Amruta Paranjape (kathak), Dakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel (bharatanatyam), while on the second day, Shravan and Kiran Ullal (bharatanatyam and yakshagana duet), Avijit Das (kuchipudi), Arupa Lahiry (bharatanatyam), Meghranjani (kathak), will light up the stage.

On July 21 and July 22; 6.45 pm onwards
At Bhavan's Cultural Centre, Munshi Nagar, Andheri West.
Free