Shake that belly beautiful

Jan 13, 2013 - Fozia Yasin

In the movie Aiyyaa, probably the only thing one would like to recollect would be Rani’s sexy belly dancing in the song Aga Bai. The choreographer behind those perfect moves is India’s ace belly dancer, Delhi-girl Meher Malik.

After being a part of reality shows like India’s Got Talent and Dance India Dance, Meher has evolved as a veteran of the Middle Eastern dance form in India.
But the going hasn’t been easy for the 24-year-old who has been trained in London and Paris. “I lived in the Middle East for 17 years and was mesmerised by interesting dance forms there. Initially, I took dance only as a hobby and wanted to pursue fashion designing as a career, given that Delhi is the fashion capital. But destiny had already planned my course of life, and my passion for dance became my profession,” she says.
“I have participated in international events since I was 14, and was encouraged by the kind of appreciation I received in Western countries,” she says. “But back home in India, thanks to the conservative mindset, I had to literally fight my way out to make a mark as a belly dancer. This was looked down upon as a vulgar dance form and people only associated it with Russian babes dressed in skimpy attire,” she recalls.
Along with dance training, Meher studied literature of Egyptian dance to know more about the history of the dance. “This dance in a way is sacred, as it is passed on from mother to daughter, in order to prepare her womb for childbirth,” she informs.
Along with her busy schedule, Meher is teaching belly dance at Banjara School of Dance and counts many Bollywood stars as her fans. “Today many young girls boldly walk into my academy and display a passion for belly dance. I think the confidence of my students is the greatest outcome of my hardwork and I am proud of it,” says Mehar.
“It was encouraging to have the likes of Farah Khan and Hrithik Roshan shake a leg with me on the dance show. I am sure Bollywood will help in popularising this unique dance form,” she smiles.

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