Malayalam celebrities passion for dance

When on the lookout for fresh talent, the bigwigs of the film industry often stumble upon performers, especially dancers, who make an impact on the stage with their graceful moves. The fluid movements and expressive eyes give dancers an edge as actors too. However, after entering the film world, not many dancers find time to pay attention to the art as much as to acting.But a handful of artists in Mollywood effectively balance their passion for dance and their profession as an actor and make the best of both worlds too. And what’s more? The audience love them for it. Here is a dekko at some of the leading actors, who are also talented dancers.
Manju Warrier
What rushes to our heads first might be a flurry of memorable roles upon mentioning this name. However, Manju Warrier’s stint as a dancer has been equally remarkable. Fame came her way first as the winner of numerous dance shows while at school, post which she debuted in films. Even her re-entry to the limelight after a 14-year sabbatical was through a Kuchipudi recital at Guruvayur on Vijayadashami. Her performance caught the right eyes and now the actress is flooded with quality film offers, yet again!
Isha Sharvani
The daughter of dancer Daksha Seth has wooed audience across industries with her breath-taking dance moves, as much as her diverse film roles. She often tours the world with her mother’s dance company and also stages unique dance performances during various glamorous events. Isha’s performance in a TV reality show recently was also quite applauded, though she had to discontinue due to an injury.
Rima Kallingal
Rima’s fluid movements caught our eyes first in a dance competition on TV. The artist, who went on to perform equally well as an actress, has staged dance shows on various national and international platforms and still pursues her passion with deep interest. In addition to the conventional art forms, Rima is apparently trained in martial arts too.
Shobhana
She is often complimented as the role model for dedicated dancers, thanks to her strong passion for the art. At the same time, whenever Shobhana is quizzed about her true calling, she terms herself to be a dancer-actress. Even multiple national awards for acting has not digressed her from dance. The actress, who is extremely picky about her reel roles these days, also runs her dance school and stages unique dance recitals time and again — for instance, Maya Ravan. Shobana is making a comeback of sorts to the big screen as well, with Vineeth Sreenivasan’s next directorial venture.
Vineeth
Dance and Vineeth are inseparable. The actor is one of the few male artists who pursue acting and dancing with élan. While he dons a variety of roles in films, his presence on stage and increasing number of achievements as a dancer are also noteworthy. Still a student of dancer Padma Subrahmanyam, he got a post-graduation in dance a while ago.
Lakshmi Gopalaswamy
Her graceful face and interesting characters have won the actress quite a good number of fans. However, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy stays true to her first love, Bharatanatyam, and often gives performances far and wide. She even judged a dance reality show on TV alongside actor Vineeth and has played many dance-oriented characters in films too.
Asha Sharath
Much before she became a household name as an actress, Asha Sharath hogged the limelight as a dancer. She even runs a dance school abroad and stages performances in Kerala quite often. The daughter of dancer Kalamandalam Sumathy, Asha used to choreograph various dance events in the past. A while ago, she performed with her mother and daughter in Guruvayur.
Shamna Kasim
Chattakkari fame Shamna has proclaimed that dance is her first love. Not surprising, considering that she is trained in a variety of dance forms and has ruled the youth festival scenes while at school. She even has a gold medal to her credit for performing roller skating Bharatanatyam at a national level competition about a decade ago. Her stint in a prominent dance reality show, where she finished in the top three, also earned her a rightful place in film industry.