Lakshmi Shankar

Lakshmi Shankar distinguishes herself as an exceptional vocalist whose familial connections include being sister-in-law to Ravi Shankar and mother-in-law to L. Subramaniam. Dance captivated her during childhood, and with support from her progressive mother she pursued training in Bharat Natyam. Her marriage to scriptwriter Rajendra Shankar, Ravi Shankar’s elder brother, drew her into Uday Shankar’s creative milieu by the early 1940s. Health setbacks ended her dance career, yet the shift happily launched her path as a singer. Between 1946 and 1947 she contributed to a landmark stage version of Pandit Nehru’s Discovery of India, eliciting Nehru’s remark, “The ballet’s better than my book.” During the 1960s she released the album The Voice of Lakshmi Shankar on World Pacific. Thereafter her recordings encompassed Tamil folk material, diverse Hindu devotional pieces, cinematic projects such as the Gandhi soundtrack, and scores for television documentaries, with releases appearing on EMI India, RCA, and additional imprints.