Bhakti Deshpande

Bhakti Deshpande is a prominent Kathak dancer, choreographer and actor. She was born to Guru Vidyahari Deshpande and Guru Sunil Deshpande. She is married to Dhruv Deshmukh. She started her dance training at the age of nine. She became a student under the tutelage of Padmavibhushan Pandit Birju Maharajji and was guided by Taalyogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar-ji. She studied at the ‘ABHIJAT’ Nritya Natya Sangeet Academy in Hindustani vocal, Tabla, Harmonium & Dramatics. She also learned the ins and outs of light-sound-stage-costume designing. She assisted in productions like – Aseem, Rhydhun, Beyond Existence, The River–Godavari, Satrang, Naadmay. She has been working as a dance teacher for more than a decade. She has participated in events like Vasantotsav, Kalashram (Delhi), Sadhana Mahotsav, Kalashram (Delhi), Panch-Tatva Festival, Bhavan’s Cultural Center (Mumbai), and Yuva Mahotsav (SCZCC Nagpur & NEZCC Agartala).

Her other performances have been at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai, Mahindra Rise Awards, NCPA, Yuva Khathak Nrutya Mahotsav at Benaras Ghat and Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande Festival at Chinchwad – Pune, International Dance Festival at Barcelona, Spain; Raindrops Festival at Mumbai, and among others, Navrang Festival at Jaipur. She worked as an assistant choreographer to Pandit Birju Maharaj for ‘Mohe Rand do Lal’ from the movie Bajirao Mastani Click to look into! >> Read More... (2015). She was also an assistant choreographer at Jhalak Dikhla Jaa Story soon >> Read More... Season 6 and 1st Afro-Asian Games, her other choreographing works include ‘Main Radha’ from Vishwaroopam (2013). She also choreographed three hundred under-privileged students of Salaam Bombay Organisation for World Conference on Tabacco or Health. She debuted on stage with the character of Kinume in the experimental Marathi play Aniket Rashomon for which she received nomination for Best Actress at Zee Gaurav 2010 and Best Actress at Vodafone Rang–Sangeet 2011.

She starred in the musical Raji Cha Mor and the play Mazya Anand Lokat. She has also worked in short films– Documentary by Volkwagon on Mobility, Documentary for Kuoni Academy of Travel. She was the lead actress of the television series Dilya Ghari Tu Sukhi Raha(2011-) for she is best known. She acted as younger Begum in Dedh Ishqiya Click to look into! >> Read More... (2014). She has also been a host for live dance performances, music shows and television entertainment shows. She is the lead dancer of India’s first classical all girl band Sakhi. She is the founder of Artfills, an online platform, which provides Indian art education to adults and children, along with her husband. Artfills offers beginner courses of Kathak and Hindustani vocals.