A freshness of repertoire and absorbing “Abhinaya” made Shubhada’s Odissi recital stand out… The fight between Ravana and Jatayu was unimaginably detailed, dramatic and the death of Jatayu reminded me of Pavlova in 'The Dying Swan'. (Ballet)
-The Times of India
Shubhada Varadkar is a fine exponent of the Odissi form of Indian classical dance. A disciple of the late Padmavibhushan Guru Shri Kelucharan Mohapatra, Shubhada Varadkar is recipient of Senior Fellowship by Ministry of Culture, Gov. of India.
A postgraduate, Shubhada was a lecturer of Economics in R.R. Ruia College, Mumbai. She was also a newscaster with Indian television. But the calls of tinkling anklets made her give up all other careers and devote all her time and energy to Odissi.
A prima donna in Odissi, Shubhada Varadkar’s deep commitment to Odissi enables her to portray intensely emotional and lyrical artistry of this magnificent dance form. She brings out its true spirit as dance of love and passion in all its purity. Her dance is a fascinating union of eloquent expressions, graceful movements and captivating postures right out of Odissi’s legendary heritage. Performance through spontaneous Nritya and Abhinaya comes to her as natural as breathing giving an experience that critics hail as joie de vivre. For Shubhada Varadkar, dance is not merely a creative art form, but also a means of enriching and developing life.