Arunima started learning Kathak at an age of two and a half. After training under many gurus, performing at different stages and winning many accolades, Arunima plans to let life unfold at its own pace.

Arunima Sengupta Basu is a Kathak dancer and Art Director at Anweshan Center for Arts, Kolkata.

Arunima was born and brought up in South Kolkata. She says that she grew up in a very good neighborhood among a great group of friends, family, and extended family. Arunima says that when she was around two and a half years old, her mother got her admitted into a local dance school. She trained under Taposh Mukherjee and remembers being in a fix initially as she was not able to learn the steps properly even after continuous guidance. Demotivated, Arunima informed her mother that she would no longer be attending the classes, which her mother refused to accept and kept her enrolled. However, now, Arunima feels grateful that her mother did not listen to her wish and continued with her training.

Talking about her life journey, Arunima says that it has been full of ups and downs. She started proper Kathak training in 2003 with Guru Luna Poddar. Arunima says that she was like clay and was molded by Luna as a dancer and even as a good human being. She trained under her for fourteen years, and during that time, she was given many wonderful opportunities, such as intensive training in Pandit Birju Maharaj’s workshops. She also worked in many dance productions, and received a national scholarship in 2011 from the Ministry of Culture, government of India. In 2015, she made a bold career decision and started her journey as a soloist. Arunima says that the major turning point in her life came when she started training under Kathak Maestro Rajendra Gangani, and it opened an all new world for her in the field of Kathak.

Talking about her accomplishments, Arunima says that she scored second place in the Doval Lane Talent Search Competition and also in an event organized by the Rajya Sangeet Academy, Government of West Bengal. She has also received a national scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, is a Doordarshan-graded artist, and is also an empanelled artist under the ICCR. Arunima further shares that she has performed at Konark Dance Festival, Delhi Kathak Kendra, ICCR-Patna, ICCR-Lucknow, India International Center, Delhi, Nalanda Dance Research Center, Mumbai, and Udai Shankar Dance Center.

When asked about her mistakes, Arunima says that an artist makes mistakes daily and should take them positively, as she feels that not taking our mistakes on a positive note makes us stagnant and hinders our progress. Arunima says that she has learned three things from her mistakes in life: practice, patience, and perseverance.

Speaking about her role models, Arunima says that her mother is her first and foremost role model, as from childhood itself she has seen her as a fighter. She then says that her gurus are her role models, as the way of living life was taught by them. Arunima admires senior Kathak Maestro Anurekha Ghosh for her immense passion and immaculate perfection.Next, she is inspired by Vidushi Durga Arya, who is a role model, especially for all the women performers out there. Arunima further adds that a dancer from Delhi, Aditi Mangaldas, Dr. Mithun Sengupta, and Kathak and contemporary dancer Akram Khan also amaze and inspire her. Arunima shares that, from the entertainment industry, Priyanka Chopra is her inspiration.

Arunima says that when she is stressed and low, she likes to sit back and think deeply about the things that trigger her. She lets that trigger follow its natural course and lets it subside slowly. She also practices deep breathing exercises to calm herself down.