Isha Sharvani Returns To The Indian Stage From Australia With KiN At Pravaha Dance Festival In Mumbai
Over four years of research and experimentation, KiN draws from ancient Indian practices like Kathak and Mallakhamb.
Published : December 18, 2025 at 2:19 PM IST
If you’ve ever wondered how culture travels through a family, KiN at Pravaha 2025 might be the performance you didn’t know you were waiting for. At its heart, KiN is a true story. Not a grand myth, not an abstract concept, but a personal exploration of how one family connects through music and dance across generations, countries, and traditions.
Presented by Daksha Sheth, Dev Issaro, Isha Sharvani, Tao Issaro and Luca Issaro, the work traces how heritage is passed on, questioned, and transformed—without ever losing its emotional core. It will be staged on December 19, 2025 at 6.30 pm at Jamshed Bhabha Theatre in NCPA Mumbai.
A family story told through movement
KiN explores the bond between parents and children, teachers and learners, ancestors and inheritors. It looks at what we receive from our families (rhythms, rituals, ways of moving) and what we choose to carry forward. From mother to daughter, father to son, the work asks: What does it mean to keep traditions alive in a world that is constantly changing?
The piece draws from ancient Indian practices like Kathak and Mallakhamb, but this is not a nostalgic return to the past. Instead, these forms are reimagined through a contemporary lens, shaped by the lived experiences of a family with both Indian and Australian heritage.
Over four years of research and experimentation, the team behind KiN has developed their own movement and sound language that respects cultural origins while allowing space for evolution. The physical texture of the work comes from a careful fusion of Indian classical forms and contemporary practices. Themes of multiculturalism, belonging, kinship, and identity run quietly the performance. This isn’t about proving a point; it’s about sharing a lived experience.
The people behind KiN
Leading the work is Isha Sharvani, who wears many hats as concept creator, actor, choreographer, performer, and producer. India-born and Australia-based, Isha has been performing professionally since the age of 13. Audiences may recognise her as a leading lady in Bollywood films like Luck by Chance, but her roots lie in dance. As the principal dancer of The Daksha Sheth Dance Company for over two decades, she has performed more than 3,000 shows across 30 countries.
Joining Isha is her mother Daksha Sheth, a pioneer of contemporary dance in India and a guiding cultural force behind the production. Founder and Director of The Daksha Sheth Dance Company, she has taken Indian contemporary dance to global stages for nearly four decades and was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2010 for her contribution to the art form.
Music and performance come together through Tao Issaro, an Indian-Australian composer and percussionist whose work has been heard at venues ranging from the Royal Albert Hall to the Kennedy Center. His soundscape plays a vital role in shaping the emotional world of KiN. The cast also includes Russell Thorpe, contemporary dancer and choreographer with extensive experience across Australian and international stages, and Jay Emmanuel, the dramaturg whose cross-cultural storytelling brings clarity and depth to the narrative. Visual and lighting design is led by Isha's father Dev Issaro, who has been a creative collaborator in Daksha Sheth’s work since 1986.
At Pravaha 2025, KiN invites audiences to witness how dance and music can hold a family together, even as the world around them shifts. It’s a celebration of shared histories, evolving traditions, and the simple joy of making art with the people you love. You don’t need to know Kathak or Mallakhamb. You just need to show up willing to feel.
When: December 19, 2025 at 6.30 pm
Where: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
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