23 January 2010, 6 pm

The launch of the book RUKMINI DEVI: A LIFE by Leela Samson

with Shri. Gopalakrishna Gandhi
Former Governor, West Bengal

Venue: Kalakshetra Foundation, Under the Banyan Tree

Leela is a dancer, a teacher, a writer and a choreographer of bharata natyam. She is deeply influenced by philosophical thought and by the work of Rukmini Devi. In 1995, she launched 'SPANDA' to rediscover traditional vocabulary, which critics reviewed as 'path-breaking'. Two documentary films have been made on her - 'Sanchari' and 'The Flowering Tree'. She is the recipient of the Sanskriti, the Padmashri, the Nritya Choodamani and the Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. She was offered to head her alma-mater and took over as Director of the Kalakshetra Foundation in May 2005. She loves music, books and animals.

The book is about a warm and candid portrait of the artist and her times. Spanning eighty years of a momentous century, this is the story of an extraordinary woman who had a vision of a modern India.

Gopalakrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, is the youngest son of Mahatma Gandhi's youngest son Devadas Gandhi.As a former member of the Indian Administrative Service, he served as Secretary to the President of India and as India's High Commissioner to South Africa, Sri Lanka and Norway among other administrative and diplomatic posts. He has authored one novel (Saranam - "Refuge" in English) and a play in verse (Dara Shukoh).His other books are- "Gandhi and South Africa", "Koi Adhha Sa Ladka" (translation into Hindustani of Vikram Seth's novel 'A Suitable Boy', "Gandhi and Sri Lanka", "Nehru and Sri Lanka", "India House, Colombo- Portrait of a Residence", "Gandhi Is Gone. Who Will Guide Us Now? (edited), "A Frank Friendship/ Gandhi and Bengal: A Descriptive Chronology" (compiled and edited) and The Oxford India " Gandhi "- Essential writings.