Dr. Anonna Guha is a scholar and researcher. A double doctorate - in Sociology, Mumbai with a fellowship from Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and in Human Relations from, USA. She holds the National Eligibility Test (NET) degree for lecturership and post graduate diploma in personality development and psychology. Trained at Nrityanjali under Dr. Tushar Guha - the Founder Chairman of Nrityanjali Group, and the Personality Development pioneer in India (Personality Development, Counselling), she has written her dissertation on Personality development and is a Counsellor. A former lecturer with Elphinstone and National college, Mumbai, she has been a Visiting Faculty for Sociology at Rizvi Law College, Mumbai.

Dr.Anonna Guha, is a trainer in behavioural sciences from an early age. As an Educator, she  imparts lessons in Soft Skills, Human Relations, Life Skills, Emotions, Communication, Personality Development, Stress Management to children, youth and adults. An able administrator, she is the Trustee and Managing Director of Nrityanjali – the institute of performing arts, education, personality development & management services. She is a Corporate Trainer and Life Coach with Nrityanjali Management Services (NMS), on behavioural sciences based on the research work of Dr. Tushar Guha, for twenty three years. She has been associated with various organizations including McDonalds,  Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Hindustan Copper, NTPC, Viraj Profiles, Sandoz, Ruia Hospitality,  Novartis Vaccines, Cipla, Glenmark, Sunpharma, Unitech Automobiles, Apollo wellness Centre, Reliance Infra, Angloeastern Shipping, Inventia healthcare, Larsen & Toubro, NMIMS, Dalmiya Management institute, IIT Bombay and so on.

Dr. Anonna Guha has written articles for Time Out Mumbai, On Stage and has written the syllabus content for Masters Degree in Sociology, Mumbai University. She was the Associate project director of IMRB International in Qualitative Research specialising in Marketing and Brand Positioning working with organizations like Pepsi, Pedigree, M & M, Marico, Unilever, ICICI Prudential and so on. She continues her market research initiatives  in categories like Finance, FMCG and so on.

She is quoted in various publications as a Sociologist and Counsellor, including Hindustan Times, Times of India and Femina. She is invited as a Panelist for several forums including Business Ethics for HPCL and Women’s Empowerment for Sambhavna-IBM. Dr. Anonna Guha is also a part of the Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH), at work, with both Public Sector and Private Sector Companies.

Organising  social work programmes at Old age homes, Orphanages, Hospitals is a passion as is the Arts. Social Work and CSR initiatives in the arena of Sanitation, Education, Arts, Health, Women, and Youth have been ongoing with Nrityanjali Trust, established in 1963.

 An excellent orator and trainer, she is trained in music and drama and is a national level performing artiste – (Kathak, Folk dance forms, Western dances) with more than 1500 shows to her credit. She is a recipient of the Menaka Award for Kathak dance from Mumbai University and Woman of Substance Award from Young Environmentalists Group Hiranandani Foundation.

Dr. Anonna Guha is the Dance Curator for KalaGhoda Arts Festival. She is a TED X Speaker on ‘Importance of performing arts in Education’ based on the research work of Dr. Tushar Guha.

Dr.Anonna Guha has authored the book 21 Mantras for People Management : Lessons from Buddha, Swami Vivekananda and Gandhi published by Indus Source.

 Dr. Anonna Guha is married and has a daughter.

RESEARCHES & DISSERTATION

  • Researched the Doctorate project in Human Relations – the ambit of human relations

  • Researched the Doctorate project in Sociology - Dance in the urban culture

  • Diploma in Personality Development, written dissertation titled An insight into Personality Development

  • Complete analysis and compilation for project based on Hawkers as a Research scholar with Dr. Sharit Bhowmik at the Department of Sociology, Mumbai University

  • Project for Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) on Industrial and Urban Sociology under Dr. Sharit Bhowmik           

  • Authored study modules in Sociology for Distance Education programmes : Social Theorists, Development theories, Sustainable development, Ecofeminism and Caste Structure 

  • Authored the Dissertation on Muslim women in India and Book review on Women in Print media

  • Prepared and presented papers for Undergraduate Honours programme on Effects of Liberalisation and gender issues like female foeticide, infanticide, women and work.  

      Anonna Guha- the artiste

Anonna was initiated into dance at the tender age of 2 ½  by her Father and Guru Dr. Tushar Guha at Nrityanjali – the institute of performing arts, education, personality development,social & management services, Mumbai - India. She has been trained under him in the various areas of performing arts - folk dance, acting, singing, voice modulation, oratory, choreography and personality development. Anonna gave her first stage performance at  the age of 4.  

Anonna started learning Kathak from the age of 6,  at Nrityanjali. She is a Visharad in Kathak from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. She has been trained under renowned Gurus, Shri Bireshwar Gautam, Dr. Shveni Pandya, Shri Maulik Shah, Smt Ishira Parikh, Padmashree Roshan Kumari and Padmashree Damayanti Joshi.

She has over 1500 dance shows to her credit, including several Kathak recitals, Folk dances and as a lead actress and dancer at various dance dramas. She was the lead dancer in Hima Devi’s “Reach For The Sun”,  celebrating 50 years of Indian Independence.   Anonna has played the lead role in two major productions of Nrityanjali with Guru Dr. Tushar Guha – “Kuhakini” and “Kalpanalok” and has received critical acclaim for the same. She  has performed  in Kolkata with Rabigeetika, which included  a solo performance based on Tagore's composition. She has also performed with  Shahana,  in Tagore's "Path", where she danced a solo piece and received acclaim for it. The news paper reviews are an endorsement  of the same.

Anonna has also won the coveted Menaka Award for Kathak at the Youth Festival organised by Mumbai University. She has also received prizes at Mood Indigo, IIT Mumbai  and Malhar, St Xavier’s Mumbai. She has  given solo dance performances  at her college, St Xavier’s and  also  choreographed and presented various dances for Malhar winning accolades for the same.

Anonna  has been presenting Kathak Recitals  and Folk dances on a  professional level  at several places, some of them being  International Mathematics Conference, IIT Mumbai ; Inauguration  of International Fleet Review, US Club ; National Conference on Botany by Mumbai University ; Charted Accountants Association, Nehru Centre Mumbai, International Women’s Day, IIT. She has also danced solo Kathak  at Tanz 2000 at ISCKON, Mumbai, in association with the German Institute of Performing Arts.  

One of the highlights of Anonna’s  professional career as a  dancer has been her solo Kathak recital  at the Kala Ghoda Fair, organised by MTDC. She has also Performed at the Godrej Academy at National  Centre of Performing Arts (N.C.P.A.) Mumbai and on Doordarshan for the Kathak ballets Ghungroo , Shodh and Sheela. 

Anonna has been performing for the last 42 years, is the lead Kathak and Folk dancer of Nrityanjali and regularly choreographs and presents Kathak pieces for the same. She is the  teacher and Head of Department for Kathak at  Nrityanjali.  Her recent production, Kathak ballet Nritya Shakti is a unique production. The idea conceptualized and choreographed  by Anonna, explores the role and function of Kathak dance in modern times. It weaves together the history, traditions, music and mathematics aspects of Kathak – elements imbibed by the students who learn dance. The whole ballet is enacted through mime, poetry and dance.

Anonna Guha  has also been invited as a Judge for the Youth Festival organized by Mumbai University. She has had initial training in both Hindustani and Rabindra Sangeet and has also been an  actress on television. Anonna Guha is a graded Kathak artiste with Doordarshan, Mumbai.

Her recent productions and performances with Nrityanjali include Kathak ke Rang Shyam ke Sang, Princess Meera, Manini, Confluence: Kathak -Flamenco ,  Anurati - Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Folk, Creative, Dance drama Kaalomegh, Theatre - Dance Love you Zindagi. Anonna Guha has danced as the lead in several dance dramas, written and directed by Guru Dr. Tushar Guha : Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Kuhakini, Kaalomegh, Kalpanalok, Buddham Sharanam Gachhami, Sagar.

Anonna Guha’s first doctorate is in Sociology on the topic Dance in the urban culture. She writes on Dance for magazines Time Out Mumbai and On Stage.


Dr Anonna Guha is the Honorary Dance Curator of Kalaghoda Arts Festival since 2015. She is a TED X Speaker on ‘Importance of performing arts in Education’ based on the research work of Dr. Tushar Guha.