Dona Roy, better known as Dona Ganguly, is an Indian Odissi dancer. She is the wife of the former Indian cricketer and 39th BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly.
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Wiki/Biography
Dona Ganguly was born on Sunday, 22 August 1976 (age 47 years; as of 2023) in Behala, Kolkata. Her zodiac sign is Leo. She was educated at Kolkata’s Loreto Convent School. She started learning dance from Amala Shankar (Indian danseuse (a female ballet dancer) and wife of the famous choreographer, Uday Shankar) when she was just 3 years old. Later, she got trained in Odissi under the guidance of Guru Giridhari Nayek. Thereafter, she started learning dance from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. It was the most significant development for her; as, under his guidance, Dona received many opportunities to polish her skills and prove her talent.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 3″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family, Caste & Husband
Dona Ganguly was born into a Bengali Family. She is the daughter of Sanjeev Roy (Businessman) and Swapna Roy. She is the only child of her parents.
Dona Ganguly with her mother
Dona tied the knot with her childhood love, Sourav Ganguly on 1 February 1997. Together they have a daughter, Sana Ganguly, who was born in 2001.
Dona Ganguly with her husband, Sourav Ganguly
Dona Ganguly with her daughter, Sana Ganguly
Dona Ganguly with her family
Dona-Sourav’s Love Tale
Dona had known Sourav right since her childhood; as they both were neighbours. Their love story began in their school days when Sourav used to play Badminton outside his house. His shuttlecock would often land into Dona’s compound, and she would get a chance to spot Sourav while returning the shuttle. On the other hand, Sourav would pass by Dona’s school, just to get a glimpse of her. The duo remained in love even when they were grown up. However, their families were arch-rivals and did not approve of their relationship. In spite of all the hardships, Sourav never missed Dona’s dance performances and she, in turn, made sure to remain present for all his matches.
Dona Ganguly and Sourav Ganguly in their younger days
Once after Sourav returned to Kolkata from the Indian cricket team’s England tour, he took Dona to the registrar’s office to get married to her. As there were a lot of people waiting at the registrar’s office with garlands, Sourav took her to his friend’s place where their marriage took place and Dona Roy became Dona Ganguly. The couple returned to their respective homes after their marriage and kept it under wraps for a long time. As soon as Dona’s parents came to know about the marriage, they became furious. After a while, the situation calmed down and a formal wedding ceremony of the duo took place on 1 February 1997.
Career
Dona started her dancing career under the guidance of her Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra by participating in a number of dance programs held in India and abroad. At the beginning of her career, Dona even accompanied her guru in Pakhavaj (a barrel-shaped, two-headed drum).
Dona Ganguly during a dance drama
In 1992, her performance at India International Centre in Delhi received splendid reviews in the Delhi Press. Praising her dance performance, The Hindu wrote,
The young Odissi dancer being groomed under Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra in the sculpturesque anga suddhi of her dance brings to mind Sanjukta Panigrahi dancing at tender age.”
She has performed at many dance festivals in India which include “Dover Lane Music Conference” in Kolkata, “River Festival” in Kolkata, “Bharat Bhavan” in Bhopal, “Beach Festival” in Digha, and “Haldia Utsov” in Haldia. Dona has also made several International dance tours which include her dance performance at the 15th North American Bengali Conference in New York and her dance performance at the ‘India by the Nile festival’ in Egypt.
Dona Ganguly performing at Bengal Fish Festival
In addition to her performances, she teaches dance at her dance school ‘Diksha Manjari.’ She is the head of the Odissi department of Bharati Vidya Bhavan, Kolkata and Techno India Schools. Dona is an ‘A’ grade artist of Doordarshan.
Dona Ganguly’s dance students
Dona’s Dance School, Diksha Manjari
Dona Ganguly owns a classical dance school, Diksha Manjari. The school was inaugurated by the popular singer and music director, Lata Mangeshkar. Dona started this institution to propagate all forms of the Indian Classical dance among the new generation. The school has more than 2000 students and emphasizes on teaching dance, swimming, Yoga, and Karate to them.
Awards
- In 1995, the then-mayor of San Francisco, Frank M. Jordan, declared the 9th day of June as the “Dona Roy Day” in San Francisco.
- Dona has received Honorary Citizenship from the American metropolitan cities like Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, and Pleasanton.
Favourite Things
- Holiday Destination: London
- Films: Jab We Met (2007), 3 Idiots (2009)
Facts
- Her hobbies include dancing and travelling.
- She follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- Her dance guru, Kelucharan Mohapatra, considered Dona to be her ideal student. After noticing her interest in dance, Mohapatra started visiting Kolkata to teach her dance.
- Dona’s first date with Sourav was at a Chinese restaurant called Mandarin in Kolkata. On their first date, Sourav ordered a lot of food and ended up eating it all. Dona was quite surprised at his act.
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Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn