When Arundhati was sent packing from Dance India Dance (Season 4), the most popular reality dance show on Zee TV, many thought the decision was harsh on her.
For, why Arundhati, who stunned the audience with her above-average flexibilityIJ So much so that even Grandmaster Mithun Chakraborty, for a while, thought she was boneless! Arundhati definitely deserved better, or so thought her fans.
And when she made her comeback to the show through the wild card system, her fans rejoiced. Girls like Arundhati symbolise the changing aspirations of next generation Odias. Arundhati, unlike girls of her age, wants to become a choreographer.
Her parents are aware of it and support her decision. “She started to dance since she was a sixth grader. Though a nervous starter, Arundhati kept improving her skills,” recollects her mother, a dance enthusiast herself. Arundhati, 16, is supposed to clear her 10th Board this year. Needless to say, she will hardly find time for studies. It was tough on the part of her parents to compromise with her education. But dance being Arundhati’s first priority, the compromise was finally made.
Arundhati was trained by Mandakini Jena, the first Odia to compete at the national level through the Dance India Dance (DID) platform. “Mandakini’s intervention was Godsend for us,” acknowledges Arundhati’s mother.
The owner of M-Zone, a dance academy in Bhubaneswar, Mandakini wanted the very best for Arundhati. “Arundhati is the most dedicated student I have ever had,” boasts Mandakini. “She has the best body language for any dancer of her age,” she adds. Mandakini does see a choreographer in Arundhati. She finds nothing wrong in choreography as a career option. “A talented choreographer can earn well up to 25,000 to 1 lakh rupees per stage show.
Competition among television channels has given rise to reality shows that mainly host dance competitions like DID. It same has given a major boost to budding choreographers,” observes Mandakini. In a profession like choreography, a lot actually depends upon the amount of innovation that choreographers bring into their work. In the market, there are excellent choreographers who price themselves high, and there are mediocre dancers who work on average packages.
All said and done, one thing has emerged loud and clear. Girls like Arundhati are daring to venture. They don’t mind looking beyond the obvious. And they don’t necessarily want to become engineers or doctors. Arundhati is still in the show; she is still dancing. Apart from her performance, she will need support, blessings and, of course, audience votes to win the contest. One could just wish the very best for this charming Odia girl!