Malavika Sarukkai is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer specializing in Bharatanatyam.^[1][2][3] A 2002 winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award,^[4] she was honoured by the Government of India in 2003 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.^[5]

Malavika Sarukkai was born in 1959 in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.^[6] She began learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 7 and trained under Kalyanasundaram Pillai(Tanjavur school) and Rajaratnam (Vazhuvoor School).^[7][8][9] She also learned abhinaya under Kalanidhi Narayanan and Odissi under renowned gurus, Kelucharan Mohapatra and Ramani Ranjan Jena.^[7][8][9] She made her debut at the age of 12 at Mumbai^[7][10] and has performed at many places in India^[11][12] and abroad,^[13][14] including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York,^[15] John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts^[16] and at Chicago.^[17] Her life and work have been recorded by way of a documentary, Samarpanam, commissioned by the Government of India.^[7][8][13] She also features in a nine-hour television documentary by BBC/WNET under the title, Dancing.^[7][8][10] The Unseen Sequence – Exploring Bharatanatyam Through the Art of Malavika Sarukkai is another documentary made on her art which has been screened at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Mumbai.^[10]

Sarukkai was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the Government of India in 2002.^[4][7] She is also a recipient of Kalaimamani title from the Government of Tamil Nadu and other awards such as Mrinalini Sarabhai Award,^[13] Nrityachoodamani title, Sanskriti award and the Haridas Sammelan award.^[2][7] The Government of India honoured her again, in 2003, with the civilian award of Padma Shri.^[2][5][7]