Anila Sunder
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Anila Sunder | |
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| Born | Anila Makhijani India |
| Occupations | Kathak and Odisi dancer |
| Known for | Sindhi Ballets |
Anila Sunder is an Indian classical dancer - Kathak and Odissi exponent[1] - belonging to the Sindhi community.[2] She has experimented with various themes and has incorporated few aspects of the Indian folk dance to give shape to the Sindhi dance drama.[3] Some of her ballets include Sindhu that depicted the lost civilization of Mohenjodaro, Sikka Sajan Jee – love legends of Sindh, Theeu Na Juda Jani Munkhaan – questioning of love versus wealth, and Sindh Munhinjee Amma - narrated stories of the trials and tribulations of Sindhis from the India partition days.[4]
Anila Sunder was born on 11 November 1951 in Ulhasnagar[5] to medical practitioners Dr.Nanki and Dr.Gobind Makhijani. She obtained a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology at Mumbai University and was a lecturer at Jai Hind College, Mumbai. She graduated the Kathak Examination from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad at the age of 11.[6] She trained under the gurus Hazarilal[6] and Damayanti Joshi, and later under Vijay Kumar Shreshtha.[2]
Career
She made her debut in the inter-collegiate classical dance competition at a Youth Festival organised by the University of Bombay in 1968.[7] In 1971, she visited Japan as a Youth Exchange programme student sponsored by Lions Club of Bombay.[8] Anila later learned Odissi from the gurus Natbar Maharana and Shankar Behra.[7] She performed in 1999 at the Sixth International Sindhi Sammelan (Convention) in Orlando and with Long Island Sindhi Association in New York. In 1998 and 2000, she performed in Leh at Sindhu Darshan Mahotsav.[5] Apart from India and USA, Anila has performed in various countries like Japan, West Africa, UAE, Scandinavian countries, and United Kingdom.[9]