It would hardly be an exaggeration to call Dinesh Kumar Poddar a “Magician of Light.” Whether illuminating stages for cultural festivals and Puja pandals or creating lighting designs for auditoriums and national-level programmes, Poddar has spent more than three decades transforming light into an expressive art form. In recognition of his long and tireless contribution to the field, he was recently conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The citation was presented to him personally by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu.
One of Eastern India’s most distinguished lighting designers, Poddar has made a significant mark across theatre, classical and contemporary dance, and music. His artistic journey began not with lighting, but as a theatre actor. He subsequently explored set design before discovering and mastering the creative possibilities of stage lighting.
Poddar received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2024 in the category of “Allied Theatre Arts – Lighting,” conferred by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and presented by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu. The award adds to an impressive list of honours accumulated over the years, including the West Bengal Government’s “Best Lighting Designer” award in 2007, “Excellence in Stage Light Designing” in 2013, the “Bharat Nirman Award,” the “Usha Uthup Stagecraft Award” three times—in 2014, 2016 and 2018—the “EEMA Spotlight Award” in 2017, and the “Outstanding Young Person of Calcutta” award in 1998.
A familiar and respected name in the worlds of theatre and dance-drama, Poddar has designed lighting for some of India’s most celebrated artists and directors. Among the renowned dancers and choreographers with whom he has collaborated are Pandit Birju Maharaj, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Vidushi Sanjukta Panigrahi, Mallika Sarabhai, Tanusree Shankar, Geeta Chandran, Ila Arun, Astad Deboo, Luna Poddar and Saswati Sen.
His work has also illuminated performances by some of the country’s finest musicians, including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shankar Mahadevan, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Niladri Kumar and Anoushka Shankar. In theatre, he has collaborated with eminent directors such as Shyamanand Jalan, Bratya Basu and Suman Mukhopadhyay.
Poddar’s artistic journey extends well beyond India. He has worked on international productions and toured the USA, UK, Germany, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and West Africa, with several of these tours organized under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). His lighting designs have also enhanced programmes attended by Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers, including former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath. His work has also been showcased at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Beyond performance spaces, Poddar is equally committed to sharing his knowledge and expertise. He conducts practical workshops on lighting at institutions including the National School of Drama, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) and Rabindra Bharati University. He has also provided technical support to the British Council, the US Consulate and several other foreign consulates in Kolkata.
For audiences in Kolkata, Poddar is perhaps equally familiar for his intricate and evocative lighting designs for Durga Puja pandals across the city. Several of these projects have received awards, further demonstrating his ability to transform light into an integral part of visual storytelling and cultural expression.
For Poddar, however, light is more than a technical element—it is a creative language. Reflecting on the honour, he said, “I am immensely proud. My journey has been illuminated by the path of light; today, this recognition—stemming from that very path—has further inspired me for the journey ahead. I am grateful to the Sangeet Natak Akademi for this award.”
After more than three decades of illuminating stages, celebrations and cultural expressions across India and abroad, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award marks another significant chapter in the journey of an artist who has made light itself speak.
