A REMEMBRANCE OF MISS TARA CHOUDHRI CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCER
KNOWN AS ANNA PAVLOVA OF LAHORE AND ABDUR RAHMAN CHUGHTAI

On 14th December, 1940, there was a news in the Civil and Military Gazette Lahore, of the formation of an Indian Classic dance Institute in Lahore, on the Mall road Lahore, under the administration of A.R. Choudhri. The person who will teach the Classical dance was a Punjabi girl of Lahore, Miss Tara Choudhri, sister of the Director A.R. Choudhri, and only 16 years of age at that time. It was attended by 500 citizens of Lahore, and amongst the foremost reported was Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahman Chughtai, the international artist of Lahore, and patron also of all things cultural anywhere.

Miss Tara Choudhri performed for a long time in the institute. She also went in 1954 with a delegation to communist countries, such as USSR, Poland and Czechoslovakia, and even appeared in a Tamil film in 1948. She also joined the Dance company of the famous dancer Ram Gopal. Ram Gopal was a great friend of Abdur Rahman Chughtai, and we will cover that relation too. Torn between two countries, she opted for Pakistan, and involved in film dances with Madame Azuri for some years, but became unknown as her subject lost its interest in Pakistan. However she died in Karachi, around 21st September, 2013. A professional who lost her talent of years at the apathy of society.Even the legendary Ram Gopal seems to be forgotten, and his collection of Chughtai Art was eventually sold too. But that is for another blog.