Coming to bookstores in 2027

Sepia sculpture of Shiva as Nataraja, lord of dance, inside an ornate temple arch, flanked by a drum-playing bull-headed attendant and a standing goddess

Bharatanatyam:
A Dance of Patrons, Gods & Brides

By Swati Gupté Bhisé

An evocative exploration of Chola artistry, dance, royal patronage, devotion, temple sculpture, and living tradition through the lens of one of India’s foremost cultural voices.

SwatiguptéBhisé

Bharatanatyam Exponent
Filmmaker
Author
Educator

Portrait of Swati Gupté Bhisé

Biography

Swati Gupté Bhisé is an award-winning Hollywood filmmaker, writer, and cultural advocate known for her contributions to the arts over four decades. A classically-trained, distinguished Bharatanatyam exponent, she has worn many hats throughout her career, including choreographer and educator. She founded the Sanskriti Center, aggressively led women’s empowerment programmes and taught 50,000 girls across U.S. public and private schools.

Swati Gupté Bhisé is an award-winning Hollywood filmmaker, writer, and cultural advocate known for her contributions to the arts over four decades. A classically-trained, distinguished Bharatanatyam exponent, she has worn many hats throughout her career, including choreographer and educator. She founded the Sanskriti Center, aggressively led women’s empowerment programmes and taught 50,000 girls across U.S. public and private schools.

Three years ago, she embraced the role of children’s book author, inspired by the birth of her grandson. She is dedicated to promoting Indian culture globally and advocating gender equality through her artistic and philanthropic endeavours. By blending traditional Indian arts with contemporary media, she creates transformative works that drive social change.

Her upcoming work includes Bharatanatyam: A Dance of Patrons, Gods & Brides, a richly-illustrated title that traces the extraordinary bond between Dravidian temple architecture, royal patronage of the mighty Cholas, Nayaks and Maratha Bhosles, and the dance form it birthed and nurtured over the centuries.

The Blue Boy Chronicles, a much-anticipated global animated children’s series that offers a reimagined take on stories of Krishna while focusing on themes of courage, identity and friendship, is developed as a partnership between Singapore-based PowerKids Entertainment and Las Vegas-based Cayenne Pepper Productions founded by Swati Gupté Bhisé. She assumes the role of co-creator and co-producer on the project.
Swati GuptxC3xA9 BhisxC3xA9 portrait with performance photographs

Key
HiGhliGhtS

pRoduceR
&
DIRECTOR

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Author &
PuBLIsheR

Swati Bhisé is an accomplished author with a diverse portfolio of written work across various genres, reflecting her wide-ranging interests.

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MultifAceTeD PeRfoRmer & EducAtoR

Swati Bhisé - Performance & Interviews:

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PRoMoteR of TheAteR & Other Artists

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Awards &
Media

The Warrior Queen of Jhansi wins Impact Award at Vancouver International Women In Film Festival .

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Asia Society’s tribute to Swati Gupté Bhisé, recipient of the 2023 Asian Arts Game Changer & Visionary Award.

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