Mahua Mukherjee is the daughter of Sri Khirod Chakraborty and Chabi Chakraborty and wife of Sri Amitabha Mukherjee. She is a popular name in the field of Indian classical dance form. Apart from being a talented dancer, Mahua is also an accomplished teacher, researcher, choreographer and director of "Gaudiya Bharati" and "Mitrayan". She received her education in Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, and completed her Masters in Botany and then Ph.D from University of Calcutta. Presently she is the head of dance at Rabindra Bharati University. She had over the years received dance training in Chhau dance of Purulia Kushan, Bishohara and Nachni, Kirtan Nritya from renowned gurus in those particular fields.
Dance is an applied art- it is a science. Science and art are like twins, one is practical and other is theoretical. For Dr. Mukherjee both the faculties complement each other pretty well. The doctorate degree in botany actually helped her tremendously to take a more theoretical approach to dance. Currently she is working towards reviving the dance academy named Gaudiya Nritya. Gaudiya means old Bengal and Nritya means dance. Gaudiya Nritya reflects Bengal`s physical structure too. The Sunderbans, the paddy fields and the rivers flowing through it and the north, which is rigid because of the Himalaya, characterized old Bengal.
The origin of Gaudiya Nritya can be traced back to Natyashastra but did not flourish because of lack of support and patronage. Gaudiya Nritya comprises elements of chhau dance which kind of heroic dance, nachni which is shringaar form, kushan which deals with Lava Kusha and has its roots in the Ramayana and the Kirtan dance, the devotional aspect
She received dance training from many renowned gurus. She learned Purulia Chau from Padma Shree Gambhur Singh Mudha, Nachni from Shashi Mahato and Kirtannritya from Narattam Sanyal. She has with her relentless efforts and dedication tried to learn the nuances from each and every gurus she had trained under.
Some of the most celebrated compositions of Gaudiya Nritya by her are Alapchari, Dashavatar, Vandana, Mangalacharan, Putana Badh, Mahisasura Mardini, Abhimanyu Badh, Ekalavya`s Gurudakshina etc. The Films Division, Human Resource Development of Government of India made a documentary Film "Dance of the Gods" on her work Gaudiya Nritya.
