About us
Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts is UAE's premier hub to discover the artist in you
Malhaar started with the philosophy of making Indian performing arts accessible to all. We do this through our learning modules, artist collaborations, events and school partnership programs. We provide training that enables students to become complete performing artists via a holistic learning approach under the 'Listen, Learn and Perform' model.
At Malhaar, we teach 10 different disciplines of Performing Arts, and our students age from 3-year-old to 82-years young.
Today, Malhaar has the unique distinction of training more than 5000 children by initiating a first of its kind Integrated Indian Performing Arts curriculum at the primary school level in several schools in Dubai.
Our Journey
Malhaar began as a passion project in Dubai in 2008, with a vision to bring Indian performing arts to the expat community in the UAE. What started as a small initiative has grown into a premier institution for Indian classical arts education.
Over the years, we have produced over 10 Broadway-style Indian musical productions featuring over 100 artists. Our productions, including "Ek Thi Naani" and "Tu Ganga Ki Mauj," have received critical acclaim and have been instrumental in showcasing the richness of Indian performing arts to diverse audiences.
In 2016, Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts was formally established to provide quality education in Indian performing arts and make them accessible to the Indian expat community. Today, we continue this mission through comprehensive training programs, concerts, workshops, and school partnership initiatives that reach thousands of students across the UAE and beyond.
Students across our various programs
Nationalities learning at Malhaar
views on Digital media videos
Cities students learning through our Digital platform
Business Verticals
School Partnerships
Malhaar collaborates with schools and introduces Indian performing arts as a compulsory subject in several primary schools of UAE.
Training
We provide training in Indian classical artforms following the 'guru shishya parampara' style, affiliated with international bodies like Prayag Sangeet Samiti, ISTD London, and Trinity College London.
Special Events
Malhaar produces Broadway-style Indian musical productions and customized shows for various organizations, featuring over 100 artists in productions like 'Ek Thi Naani' and 'Tu Ganga Ki Mauj'.
Concert Series
We organize concert series like 'Boithak' and 'Mousiqi Virasat', featuring Indian maestros and providing platforms for classical music performances.
Digital Content Creation
Malhaar creates exclusive musical content for a global audience, producing digital media videos that have garnered over 15.2M views.
Philanthropy
We engage in philanthropic initiatives like 'Music in the park' and 'Sing for Parkinson's, Young Hearts Foundation', using music to make a positive impact in the community.
Meet the Partners
Jogiraj Sikidar
Founder & Director
Jogiraj Sikidar has received extensive training in Hindustani Classical Vocal for over forty years in the Guru-Shishya Parampara of Kirana Gharana, under stalwarts like Pt. Mani Prasad, Smt. Kankana Banerjee, Smt. Shikha Ganguly, and Prof. Rita Ganguli. A recipient of the prestigious Times Now NRI Of The Year Award 2018 in the field of art & culture, Jogiraj Sikidar has more than 800 music concerts to his credit and has been teaching and performing Hindustani Classical Vocal and other forms for over thirty years. He is the Founder and Director of the Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts, Dubai.
Kruti Shah
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Media professional by day and an art & cultural promoter by passion, Kruti is the co-founder of Malhaar. Kruti has been associated with Malhaar from the day it was conceived and an integral part of its journey from its very early days. She oversees marketing and key initiatives at Malhaar. Apart from Malhaar, Kruti works for a leading television network in the region.
Chaitali Sarkar
Managing Partner
Chaitali Sarkar is an ex-banker, homemaker and a music enthusiast with interest in vocal music, instrumental music and traditional dance forms. She has lived in Dubai for over 25 years and is passionate about children's participation in music from the early years. She is currently a managing partner at Malhaar and oversees finance and administration and is part of all key initiatives.