At the tender age of fourteen, Gul Bardhan’s inclination towards the fine arts and her determination to join the struggle for independence urged her to leave home. She joined the Communist Party of India, where she was asked to join the Central Squad. It was there that she met Shanti Bardhan and joined his group of dancers. Under his guidance, she learned contemporary Indian ballet. Her fascination, admiration, and regard for her Guru grew steadily, and eventually, they married.
In 1946, she toured India with the troupe, successfully performing “India Immortal,” choreographed by Shanti Bardhan. The following year, she was selected to represent India at the First World Youth Festival in Prague, presenting an exhibition entitled “My Country My People.”
For fifty four years after the demise of Shanti Bardhan, she continued to keep his memory alive by staging his ballets, which had once taken the country by storm. His famous puppet dance drama “Ramayana,” which he composed while extremely unwell, continues to receive thunderous applause worldwide. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the staging of “Panchatantra,” another of his masterpieces.
To Gul, work always came first. When not dancing, she would either be reading, managing the troupe’s accounts, or looking after household chores. She edited a book titled “Rhythm in Carnate” based on the work and life of Shanti Bardhan. She also choreographed the ballets “Uttapriydarshi” and “Mahabharat.” In her leisure time, she loved to be in the garden among flowers, for which she had an inexhaustible passion.
Since 1955, the Little Ballet Troupe has performed in many countries and participated in dance festivals held worldwide. In recognition of her contributions, Gul Bardhan received numerous honors:
- In 1964, the French Government decorated her with the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”
- She was awarded the Gaurav Puraskar from Gujarat Sangeet Natak Akademi
- In 2001, she received the Shikhar Samman from the Madhya Pradesh Government
- The same year, she was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for creative dance
- In March 2010, she was conferred the “Padma Shri” by the president of India.
