I’m a fan of Prachee’s dancing: Manasi Salvi
Actors Manasi Salvi and Prachee Shah Pandya have known each other for over 25 years, and the foundation of their friendship seems to be their shared love for Indian classical dance forms. Recalling how they would participate in Swar Sadhana Samiti All India dance competitions, Manasi says, “I have known Prachee for a long time. I knew she would win the first prize for Kathak, and she did, while I won it for Bharatanatyam. I am very proud of Prachee for pursuing her love for dance. Besides acting in TV shows, she has been performing all over the world at prestigious cultural festivals and making our country proud. I’ve been her fan and love the way she dances.”
The actors have remained friends over the years and recently met for coffee after three years. Speaking about their friendship, Manasi says, “There are very few actors in the industry that I can connect to. Although Prachee and I met after three years, we had a lot of fun talking about acting, the TV industry, our kids, struggle with weight post-delivery, dance, and much more. We went down memory lane and got nostalgic about our times. Today, we are going through a tough transition, as we are asked to play the ‘mothers’ in TV shows. You could say we are going through a mid-life crisis, which, these days is at 35 and not 45. These conversations keep me rooted.”
Manasi is disappointed that she couldn’t pursue dance like Prachee has over the years. She says, “I am in awe that Prachee has managed to balance dance and acting. I feel people should learn these dance forms, but I also believe that we should contribute to our country’s cultural heritage in any way we can. Keeping these art and dance forms alive in India and abroad is a great way to do that.”