Bhubaneswar: Dance historian and critic Sunil Kothari passed away on Sunday following a cardiac arrest at a Delhi hospital. He was 87.
Padma Shri Sunil Kothari had tested positive for Covid-19 a month back, said sources.
Born on December 20, 1933 he was a qualified Chartered Accountant and later turned his focus to dance studies.
He had studied Indian dance forms and has written more than 20 books on Odissi, Sattriya, Bharatanatyam, Chhau, Kathak and Kuchipudi etc.
He was the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995, Gaurav Puraskar conferred by the Gujarat Sangeet Natak Akademi (2000); Padma Shri (2001); and Life Time Achievement Award of Dance Critics Association, New York, USA (2011).
He was also an elected Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi for his contribution to Indian dance as a scholar.