About Us
Kathak Aadi-Kathak is a feature-length historical research documentary made by Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.


Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, was founded on July 6, 1917 to commemorate the name and the work of Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarakar, the foremost pioneer of scientific Orientology in India. The Institute is a public organization registered under Act XXI 1860 (a Public Trust). It is partially supported by annual earmarked grants from the Government of Maharashtra. The Institute has also received grants from the Government of India and the University Grants Commission for specific research projects.
Orientology is the study of the ancient indigenous lore and wisdom of the East or the ‘Orient’. The Institute concerns itself with research activity in the field of Orientology with a vision to enlighten the world about the all-comprehensive knowledge generated in the East, especially, in India. The institute has one of the largest collections of rare books and manuscripts spanning over 1,25,000 books and over 28,000 manuscripts collected over a period of 90 years covering practically every aspect of Orientology. This collection covers several languages and scripts such as Sanskrit, Prakrit, Indian regional languages, Classical, Asean and European languages. In addition, through the pursuits of its research projects in the Mahabharata and Prakrit Languages it has created invaluable reference archives.
About the Artiste
Guru Roshan Datye (Bedarkar) is one of India’s distiguished Kathak exponents and has been working for ‘Kathak’ in different capacities for more than 40 years. She has been known for her Graceful Nritta and Sensitive Abhinaya. In 1978 Roshan came under tutelage of Kathak Guru Rohini Bhate at Nrityabharati Kathak Dance Academy, Pune. For over three decades she has been rising to the needs of Nrityabharati to shoulder secretarial/administrative responsibilities besides performing Kathak.
Her contribtions in Kathak stand out as a result of her coverage of different roles of : Disciple, Dancer, Teacher, Performer, Choreographer, Artistic Director, Art Historian, Author, Phd Guide, Visiting Professor, Committee Member [Kathak Syllbus and Structure], Examiner, Resource Person, Thinker and Counselor etc. Fellowship bestowed upon by Ministry Of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, New Delhi for her Research in Interrelation of Contemporary and Traditional Kathak with the Ancient Dance Sculptures existing on North Indian Temples and Medieval Miniature Paintings.
About the Director
Rewa Rawat is a 21-year-old aspiring writer and director from Pune, India. She was studying at Queen’s University in Canada where she was awarded the ‘Dean’s Excellence Award’ and scholarship and was on the ‘Honour’s List’. But she decided to move back to India during her second year to work on her documentary while pursuing an online degree. She is currently studying for an online BA degree in history from ‘The Open University’, UK.
She has written two indie short films, ad films and directed two music videos and a one-act play for Dan Studio Series at Queen’s University. She is currently working with Swastik Productions, Mumbai and writing a fiction feature-length film with them. She has interned as an AD for the Hotstar web series ‘Escaype Live’ and has worked as an AD and associate director on multiple short films, ad films and music videos. Kathak Aadi-Kathak is her feature-length directorial debut.
About the Director of Photography
Anish Phansalkar is a 21-year-old cinematographer hailing from the beautiful city of Pune, India. From his humble beginnings of creating goofy YouTube videos as a child, he has grown into a skilled artist who has already shot two feature-length films. Alongside pursuing his career in cinematography, Anish pursued higher education, studying Mass Communication and Journalism at MIT Arts Design Technology.
Anish understands that each project comes with its unique requirements, and approaches each one with meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of the director’s vision. What sets Anish apart is his commitment to creating visuals that not only capture the essence of a story but also evoke strong emotions and elevate the audience’s experience. He has worked on several Short films, music videos, documentaries and his body of work continues to grow.