Danseuse Amala Shankar passes away at age 101 bringing end to an era

Amala Shankar, famous dancer and widow of the legendary dancer-choreographer Uday Shankar, passed away in her sleep in Kolkata.

She was the mother of late musician Ananda Shankar and actress Mamata Shankar and sister-in-law of late sitar maestro Ravi Shankar.

 Amala Shankar had also acted in the iconic film Kalpana written, co-produced and directed by husband Uday Shankar.  

Granddaughter Sreenanda Shankar posted on her social media, “Today my Thamma left us at the age of 101. We just celebrated her birthday last month. Feeling so restless that there is no flight from Mumbai to Kolkata. Heartbroken May her soul Rest in peace. This is an end of an era. Love you Thamma. Thank you everything."

Born as Amala Nandy in 1919 in the small village of Batajor in Jessore district (now Bangladesh), at the age of 11 in 1931 she went to the International Colonial Exhibition in Paris. It was here that she met her future husband Uday Shankar and got introduced to his family.  

She joined Uday Shankar's dance troupe and performed across the world while in 1942 she got married to the man. 

According to various media reports, it was on the insistence of  Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, a family friend, that Amala’s father sent his daughter to the dance academy Uday had set up in Almora in 1938.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled her death. 

Mourning Amala Shankar's demise, the CM said, "I am saddened by the death of eminent dancer Amala Shankar. Through dance, she has earned fame not only in the state or India but also at the international level. Her death has left a void in the dancing fraternity. My deepest condolences for her family members and well wishers."