She is donning a pair silangai after seven-and-half years and is both thrilled and nervous about it! For Aishwarya R. Dhanush, dancing is her first passion. “We plan something in life. But we end up doing something else. When I came to know about the silver jubilee celebrations of my dance academy, I decided to perform. I wanted to be a part of it,” she says.
Elaborating more about her dance performance, she continues, “I am doing a padham with three other senior students from the academy.”
Another reason for the film director not taking up dancing regularly, is her busy schedule. “To be a dancer, one needs to constantly practice. I am unable to invest that much time at this point. Although I am a trained dancer, life takes many twists and turns. Dance is pure and divine and it is a beautiful experience,” she asserts.
She has been preparing for the day since three to four weeks. “It’s really nostalgic to be back here. I will be performing with three other dancers and it was comparatively easier for me to co-ordinate with them. One of them is my guru’s daughter,” she adds.
Talking about support from her family, she affirms, “They were all happy to see me go back to dance. Dhanush would come for my dance performances earlier. My dad and mom are also extremely supportive.”
Speaking about her guru, she reveals, “My dance teacher Meenakshi is a very supportive and understanding person. I have learnt dance under her for 15 years now.”
Can we now see the filmmaker in more dance performances? She smiles, “I don’t know about that. But, I would like to get back to dancing.”
Aishwarya’s guru, Meenakshi Chitharanjan, the director of Kaladiksha dance academy, adds — “We launched our school in 1991. And this year, we are celebrating its 25th anniversary. That’s why we decided to have a special dance performance. Our theme will be Ekam meaning ‘The Supreme Oneness’. This concept was propounded and established by Adi Sankara. Different batches of students in different age groups will present six items in praise of each of the Gods. Almost 60 students are taking part in the dance programme.”
The teacher is more than happy to have Rajinikanth’s eldest dancing at the event. “She is one of my dear students. Though she has not been dancing much, she would always keep in touch with me. When she came to know that we are doing a special event, she was very happy to participate with our students. Whenever she got time, she practised with other students from the academy.”
On a concluding note, Aishwarya, who was recently appointed as India’s goodwill ambassador for the UN Women organisation, also talks about what’s happening next, film-wise — “I’ve completed shooting a documentary about the stuntmen of Tamil cinema. I’m hoping to take it to international film festivals. Further, I am also planning to request a category of awards for the stuntmen in the national awards. They deserve appreciation equal to any other film
technician.”
(The performance will be held today at Music Academy, from 6.30 pm onwards)
