Bhubaneswar: Dr Suprava Mishra’s solo Odissi dance performance at Guru Sudhakar Sahoo Award Festival 2025 organised by Sadhana Cultural Academy, a Bhubaneswar based Odissi dance institution, at Rabindra Mandap on August 1, was characterised by fluidity, grace, commanding stage presence and remarkable precision.
She presented ‘Pa’,’Pha’,’Ba’,’Bha’ and ‘Ma’ champus from Kishorachandrananda Champu written by Kabisurya Baladev Rath, bringing to life poetic brilliance of verses where each line begins with the same consonant.
Though originally choreographed by Guru Sudhakar Sahu, she directed it for her performance, breathing fresh life into these lyrical gems while staying rooted in classical purity.
In ‘Pa’ Champu (“Priya Sahi, Paramada Bada Tuhigo”), Radha pours her heart out to Lalita, lamenting the emotional rollercoaster Lalita subjects to her by placing her in heavenly bliss one moment and casting her into the depths of despair the next by telling that Krishna is not interested in her and she should forget him.
Suprava swiftly shifted the mood in ‘Pha’ Champu (“Phati Padibara”), where Lalita becomes angry for Radha accusing her of deceit. She retorts that her feet develop cracks because of going several times to ‘Kunjabana’, pointing her devotion and weariness.
She then softened the narrative in ‘Ba’ Champu (“Bichakshana Re”), Radha flatters Lalita with her charming words and eventually convincing her to join her once more in ‘Kunjabana’ to listen the enchanting strains of Krishna’s flute.
The charming abhinaya and poetic arc continued with ‘Bha’ Champu (“Bhangi Chanhare”), in which Lalita paints a vivid picture of Krishna’s divine beauty-his allure and his posture that leaves onlookers spellbound.
The performance culminated in ‘Ma’ Champu (“Madhure, Manda Manda Hoi Gandhabaha Prasarila”), where an ethereal union of Radha and Krishna is depicted, setting against the romantic backdrop of spring, where the air is heavy with fragrance and love is in full bloom.
Suprava’s performance, marked by clarity, graceful stage presence, meditative composure, expressive abhinaya and deft footwork, brought emotions alive.
Her swift transitions between the personas of Radha and Lalita was excellent, a testimony to her years of rigorous training and intuitive artistry.
The visual poetry she wove on the stage lingered in this reviewer’s mind long after the performance.
What added an extra layer of magic was the live musical accompaniment, featuring a team of seasoned musicians: Guru Nimakanta Routray (Vocal), Dibakar Parida (Mardal), Soumya Biswajit (Vocal and Manjira), Bijayalaxmi Routray (Vocal), Ramesh Chandra Das (Violin) and Soumya Ranjan Joshi (Flute). They all lent a sterling support to Suprava’s captivating performance.
According to this reviewer, she didn’t just perform—she told stories, evoked emotions, and etched memories that will remain etched in the hearts of all who witnessed her brilliance.
An accomplished Odissi dancer in every sense, Suprava is no stranger to accolades and achievements. The founder of ‘Aum Arts Dance Academy’ (Odissi dance institution established in Ahmedabad in 1995), she began her Odissi training at just 6 years old. Her academic path is as impressive as her artistic one-with an M.Sc. in Physics, an MBA in Marketing, and later, a Doctorate in Dance from Akhil Bharatiya Gujarat Vidyapith.
She has the opportunity of honing her skills under the watchful eyes of Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Guru Shudhakar Sahu. Under their tutelage, she has not only mastered the technical aspects of the art form but also absorbed its spiritual essence.
A graded artiste of Doordarshan and recipient of Gujarat Gaurav Award (2013) – Lifetime Achievement in Odissi Dance and Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Award (2014) from then President Pranab Mukherjee for her book ‘Odissi Nrutya Aur Bharatiya Sanskruti’ (Hindi), Suprava has performed at several prestigious festivals such as Konark Festival, Khajuraho Dance Festival, Uttaradhikar Festival (Bhopal, Modhera, Jaipur), Chakradhar Samaroh (Raigarh), Debadhara Festival (Odisha), Kankariya Karnival (Ahmedabad), Geet Govinda Festival (Dwarka), Orcha Mahotsav (MP) and many others.
In addition to her illustrious dancing career, she is a prolific writer as well. She has authored six books such as ‘Bharatiya Nritya’ (Hindi), ‘Odissi Nrutya aur Bharatiya Sanskruti’ (Hindi), ‘Gujarat ke Jalmandiron men Pratibimbit Virasat’ (On Vavs of Gujarat), ‘Dwarkara Suryasta’ (Odia Translation of Gujarati works), Biography of poet Shri Narshi Mehta (Odia) and ‘Anubhuti’ (Odia poetry collection).
She has also ventured into cinema with acting and directing a film titled ‘Shriradha:Prem Ki Anant Sambhavanayen’, based on eminent poet Ramakant Rath’s poetic epic.
