I gave my first performance at the age of five: Prachee

Shah Paandya talks about her Kathak journey, childhood memories and why she stays away from dance reality shows

Actor-dancer Prachee Shah Paandya became a household name with her debut TV show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi at the age of 19. She is also a trained classical dancer who started her Kathak journey at the age of three-and-a-half.

Prachi attributes her love of classical performing art to her father, Sudhir Shah. She says, “It was my father who was inclined towards classical music and dance. He tells me that when he took [me] to a Kathak class for the first time, I managed to do the footwork precisely on beat on the very first day. I was only three-anda-half years old then. It (the Kathak class) was something that I would not miss for anything in this world, even if I had an exam, or I was not keeping well or there was some birthday party.”

Prachee, who gave her “first stage performance” at the age of five, recalls the memory. “I still remember it was at Tejpal auditorium (Grant Road), where actor Govinda’s mother (Nirmala Devi) had come as the chief guest with Govinda. During the same time, I performed in Doordarshan as well. I remember dad taking me to the studio to shoot; it was a big deal then. I still remember everybody in my building got together at my house to watch me on TV. That was technically my first ever TV outing at five.”

Despite her popularity in the TV industry, Prachee admits that she has “consciously refrained” from doing any dance reality show. “They don’t bring in the hardcore classical [dance] quotient on stage. And that (participating in dance reality shows) will just put me in a spot where I’ll be unnecessarily compared with another artiste, who is brilliant in some other dance form. Somebody who has mastered jazz and break dance is equal to someone who has mastered Kathak.”

Paandya, will be performing at Tata Theatre, NCPA today. Talking about it, Paandya says, “The show is called Rhythmic Rain. One major highlight of the show is my footwork; as I have around 300 ghungroos on each leg.”

I still remember everybody in my building got together at my house to watch me on TV. That was technically my first ever TV outing at five. PRACHEE SHAH PAANDYA, ACTOR

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