About
Divaksha Jinabhai
Actress, model and Kathak-trained choreographer based in Mumbai and Durban. Her background includes Rudra Dance Theatre, music videos and an MSc in Audiology.
About
Performance, grounded in Kathak
Divaksha Jinabhai holds a Master of Science in Audiology from the University of Cape Town, earned while she kept a full performance schedule running beside it. The same rigour sits behind the choreography: a piece gets broken down, tested on real dancers in the actual room, and rebuilt until it holds.
Each form is held to its own discipline rather than flattened into a single house style. Kathak stays Kathak; the Bollywood and semi-classical work is built rather than borrowed. That separation is what sustained study across all three buys her.
She performs with Rudra Dance Theatre, the Durban company founded by Pavishen Paideya in 2017 to build a sustained home for Indian South African dance. With them she has appeared in Shall We Dance at the Playhouse Opera, the annual showcase of Durban's dance scene presented by the South African Dance Teachers' Association, and in numerous programmes across Durban and South Africa sharing a stage with the country's top-tier dancers and choreographers.
In 2022 she danced in SAMSARA, choreographed by Pavishen Paideya, on the JOMBA! on the EDGE programme. Her screen portfolio includes a featured dance appearance in Aayo Ayodhya Mein Ram and The Indo Western Closet's Festive '25 campaign film.
Closer to home she has spoken about heritage and movement on Lotus FM's Style in the City. Alongside all of it she still teaches private classes and workshops.
Accolades
- Training
- Rangmanch Pravesh in KathakNateshwar Dance Institute
- Company
- Rudra Dance TheatreDurban
- Television
- Judge, Dance Naija DanceZee World
- Academic
- MSc AudiologyUniversity of Cape Town
In the press
Featured
- Zee WorldTelevision
Dance Naija Dance
Judge, Dance Naija Dance
Divaksha joins the judging panel of Zee World's Dance Naija Dance, bringing her background in Kathak, Bollywood dance and performance to the competition.
Zee World
Boss StudioMusic videoAayo Ayodhya Mein Ram
A devotional release from Boss Studio, sung by Romy and Prerna Sahetia and directed by Javed Sanadi. Divaksha is one of the two featured dancers, credited on the film alongside the choreographer Lakshya Sharma.
Boss Studio · 20 January 2024 · 5 min 24
Watch on YouTube- JOMBA!Dance festival
On the EDGE · 2022
SAMSARA
Dancer in SAMSARA, choreographed by Pavishen Paideya. The work was presented on the JOMBA! on the EDGE programme in 2022, exploring Indian South African identity and belonging.
Official JOMBA! programme · University of KwaZulu-Natal
View the festival credit - The PostFeature
Showcase of Durban's diverse dance scene returns
We intend on showcasing the heart and soul of Bollywood and all that Indian culture has to offer.
On performing with Rudra Dance Theatre in Shall We Dance at the Playhouse Opera, the annual showcase presented by the South African Dance Teachers' Association.
The Post · September 2023
Read the feature - Lotus FMRadio
Style in the City
Steps of Storytelling: Heritage Month
A Heritage Month episode on celebrating culture through movement. Divaksha talks through her journey into dance, the lessons it has taught her, and how she keeps tradition alive while encouraging a new generation to honour their heritage through art.
SABC · 22 September 2025
Listen to the episode - The Bollywood TempestStage performance
Sunday Times Eastern Bridal Fair
Performed a contemporary duet to Awari with Yesheen Bhagwandeen at the 2014 dance and fashion show. Coverage names Divaksha as a dancer in the production.
Durban · September 2014
Read the performance coverage
Questions
About Divaksha
- Who is Divaksha Jinabhai?
- Divaksha Jinabhai is a South African actor, model, dancer and choreographer based in Mumbai and Durban. She trained at the Nateshwar Dance Institute and completed her Rangmanch Pravesh in Kathak, performs with Rudra Dance Theatre, and has appeared in Shall We Dance at the Playhouse Opera. She also holds a Master of Science in Audiology from the University of Cape Town.
- What styles does Divaksha Jinabhai dance?
- Kathak is her classical grounding. She also performs and choreographs Bollywood and semi-classical Indian dance, and that classical training is what her film-style work is built on.
- What is Rudra Dance Theatre?
- Rudra Dance Theatre is a Durban dance company founded by Pavishen Paideya in 2017 to create and sustain a home for Indian South African dance. Divaksha Jinabhai performs with the company, including in Shall We Dance at the Playhouse Opera, the annual showcase presented by the South African Dance Teachers' Association.
- Where is Divaksha Jinabhai based?
- She is based in both Mumbai, India and Durban, South Africa. Acting, modelling and choreography enquiries are welcome in both countries. Dates, current location and travel arrangements are confirmed per project.
- How do I book Divaksha Jinabhai?
- Send an enquiry through the form on this site, or email divaksha.j@gmail.com. Bookings cover acting and modelling, production choreography, stage performance, wedding and sangeet choreography, workshops, private tuition, and corporate or cultural events.
Bookings
Tell her about your project
Fill this in and it goes straight to Divaksha’s inbox. She replies by email.
- divaksha.j@gmail.com
- Based in
- Mumbai, India and Durban, South Africa