Tulsi Badrinath

🪔 About

Born in Madras (now Chennai), India, in 1967, Tulsi Badrinath is a distinguished Bharatanatyam exponent and acclaimed author. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from Stella Maris College and an MBA from Ohio University, Athens. After a four-year career in multinational banking, she left to dedicate herself to her passions for dance and writing. Tulsi Badrinath began her Bharatanatyam training at the age of eight, studying under the renowned gurus Shanta and V. P. Dhananjayan, a tutelage that has spanned over 45 years. She made her formal solo debut in 1985 and has since performed extensively both in India and internationally. Notably, she toured six republics of the USSR in 1987 as part of the Bharata Kalanjali troupe for the Festival of India. As part of Bharata Kalanjali, she has also taught students from various parts of the world and continues to mentor students in Bharatanatyam technique and expression. Beyond her dance career, Badrinath is a prolific writer. Her bibliography includes the novels “Meeting Lives” (2008) and “Man of a Thousand Chances” (2011), both of which were longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Her narrative non-fiction work, “Master of Arts: A Life in Dance” (2013), explores the journey of male Bharatanatyam dancers, particularly her guru V.P. Dhananjayan, and was recognized by Hindustan Times as one of the ten best books of 2013. She is also the author of “Madras, Chennai and the Self: Conversations with the City” (2015). Her articles, poems, reviews, and short stories have appeared in numerous publications, and she has contributed art criticism to The Hindu and scholarly articles to magazines like Sruti and Nartanam. Awards & Honours: Man Asian Literary Prize Longlist (2007), Man Asian Literary Prize Longlist (2008), Hindustan Times: One of the ten best books of 2013 (2013).