Somabha Bandopadhay

🪔 About

Dr. Somabha Bandopadhay is an accomplished Indian classical Manipuri dancer, recognized for her graceful movements and profound understanding of the art form. She inherited her passion and training from her mother, the renowned Manipuri exponent and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, Dr. Shruti Bandopadhyay. Somabha has been a recipient of prestigious national scholarships from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, including the Scholarships to Young Artists in different cultural fields for Manipuri dance in 2018 and the Cultural Talent Search Scholarship for Manipuri dance for ten consecutive years from 2006 to 2016. Her performances showcase the rich heritage of Manipuri dance, which she describes as a legacy of prayer handed down through generations, deeply rooted in Vaishnavism and often centered on Ras Leela themes. She has performed Manipuri dance at significant events, such as the Padma Vibhushan Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan Indian Classical Dance Festival at Bharat Bhavan, where she performed alongside Shreya Mahata. Somabha has also presented works like "Mridu Uddhata Krishna Nartan," inspired by Guru Bipin Singh's cholom tandava style, and "Sukhsari Dwanda". Beyond her dance career, Dr. Bandopadhay holds a strong academic background in law. She is an alumnus of KIIT University and National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and pursued her Ph.D. at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata. She is also an advocate and works at the National Forensic Laboratory. Demonstrating her commitment to interweaving arts and law, she initiated a platform called "unumte.help". She regularly undertakes trainings of police officials, judicial officers and advocates in India on transgender sensitisation. Awards & Honours: Scholarships to Young Artists in different cultural fields for Manipuri dance by Ministry of Culture, Government of India (2018), Cultural Talent Search Scholarship for Manipuri dance by Ministry of Culture, Government of India, 1st in West Bengal Youth Festival for Manipuri Dance (2018).