Biography

Roshan Kumari Fakir Mohammad is an Indian classical dancer, actor and choreographer, considered by many as one of the foremost exponents of the Indian classical dance form of Kathak. She follows the Jaipur Gharana and is the founder of Nritya Kala Kendra, Mumbai, an academy promoting Kathak. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1975, she received the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1984. Roshan Kumari was born on Christmas Eve (year of birth uncertain) at Ambala in the north Indian state of Haryana (erstwhile Punjab) to Choudhury Fakir Mohammed, a noted Tabla player and Zohrabai Ambalewali, renowned classical and playback singer. She learnt the basics of Kathak from K. S. Moray and continued her studies at Maharaj Bindaddin School of Kathak, Mumbai under Sunder Prasad ji and learnt the jaipur gharana. Later, she also trained under Ghulam Hussain Khan and Hanuman Prasad and learnt Bharat Natyam from Govindraj Pillai and Mahalingam Pilai.

Roshan Kumari has performed in many places in India including a special performance at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. She has also performed in front of personalities such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Nikita Khrushchev, Milton Obote, Hussein of Jordan and the King of Nepal. In 1971, she founded the Nritya Kala Kendra, at Bandra in Mumbai, where she tutors several students. Mukta Joshi, Aditi Bhagwat, Nandita Puri, Nigaar Bano, Shelina Virani, Sehajpreet Singh, Himani, Sangeeta, Anonna Guha and Shailla Aurora are some of her notable students.

Roshan Kumari Ji, who remains unmarried, lives in Mumbai.