A man ahead of his times: Centre to immortalise former Karnataka CM Hegde

Bengaluru: When dancer Pratibha Prahlad takes the stage, her eyes lined with kohl, expressive and fierce, there isn’t a pair of eyes in the room who would be able to look away.

But she is not just a famous dancer, it’s her crusader avatar which makes her a formidable force to reckon with. A celebrated Bharatnatyam dancer, her performances reflect years of commitment to her craft.

Observing a huge deficit for cultural spaces in India, Pratibha wanted to make a difference. “I felt that in India, there was no space for a cultural centre, where you can just interact and let your creative juices flow. Even Bengaluru as a city, has grown in a haphazard manner, with little importance given to the arts, which is why I felt the need to start a cohesive platform for art and cultural development”, she said.

A woman with many feathers in her cap, not only is she an avid performer but also an activist. She is the Managing Trustee of Prasiddha Foundation, a non-profit organization she started with the help of Dr Rajeev Taranath, late Prema Prahlad and late Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde. Turning 25 this year, the foundation continues to foster a love for the arts.

Their next milestone is the opening of ‘Ramakrishna Hegde Cultural Centre’ in Bengaluru for which the foundation stone was unveiled on Monday to coincide with the 90th birth anniversary of late Hegde.

“It is a personal achievement for me. This should have been built a long time ago, but people don’t put the money where the mouth is,” she said. A first of its kind, the centre will have classes for classical dance and music, painting, sculpting and theatre workshops for children. To support these activities, an indoor auditorium, basement theatre, recording studio, art gallery and café will also be set up.

The foundation’s dance repertory is following in the footsteps of the Padma Shri awardee and has won accolades for giving a contemporary and global voice to Bharatnatyam. The multi-faceted talent that she is, Pratibha Prahlad could easily be called the 21st century Rukmini Devi Arundale, a pioneer who gave the world the gift of Bharatnatyam.