Sanjana Parulekar
It is rightly said that having the ability to do something different and apart from the crowd in itself is a strength. Every single person selects the road which has been described as ‘safe’ and taken by before by all. One shouldn’t be afraid of being different but should be afraid of being the same as everyone else. This time we bring to you the story of a woman who decided to follow her passion and stand out of the crowd; choreographer Ms. Sanjana Parulekar.
Ms. Sanjana Parulekar is a choreographer from Mumbai, a tarot card reader, and a finance postgraduate. Ms. Parulekar was 4 years old when she had gone to an event with her parents where there was music, beats, and a DJ. From 7 p.m. till 11 p.m., that 4 years old kid grooved non-stop to the beats magnificently without even eating but just dancing to the rhythm. Seeing her dance so exclusively, Ms. Parulekar’s parents were amazed!
Seeing her dedication for dance, Ms. Parulekar was enrolled for Indian folk-dance classes. Ms. Parulekar was so committed to the art form that she gradually completed her tenure of 7 years in Indian folk dance from Delhi University with examinations. She is also a national Vivum winner (2008, solo dance) along with Lt. Kalpana Chawla award holder. After her 10th std.; she switched to Bollywood, did a diploma in kathak from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya, and learned Belly dance basics. Once she completed her graduation, Ms. Parulekar did a certification in Salsa, Bachata, and Cha-cha-cha dance forms under ISTD London. Ms. Parulekar excelled so much in her chosen field that she became a medalist in Bachata and Cha-cha-cha and a recognized certified instructor in salsa.
Ms. Parulekar’s journey began at a very tender age. In her school in std. 10th, she was also given an opportunity by her dance teacher for the school's annual function choreography. It is only one’s passion that fuels each and every other aspect related to your life. Passion is a form of energy; you feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. Ms. Parulekar adoringly admires the superstar Mrs. Madhuri Dixit Nene for her grace and explicit expressions. She also follows Ms. Vaibhavi Merchant and Lt. honorable Saroj Khan for their perfect and unique choreographies.
She never had a plan beforehand to enter the field of performing arts. Ms. Parulekar has two extreme backgrounds; poles apart. She completed her bachelor’s in Financial Markets and a master's in Finance. Ms. Parulekar was in a doldrum for choosing between corporate show buzz and her passion. Dance has always been her passion but she was in a doubt with choosing it as a career. Eventually, projects started falling in her plate and things started getting lined up paired with her hard work and efforts. Ms. Parulekar started freelancing in 2010 and she started her own enterprise in the year 2014 by the name “Sayan Choreography” wherein Sayan means ‘spreading vastness’. In all, it has been a glorious 22 years of Ms. Parulekar in the field of performing arts.
It was her devotion for her passion which even in tough times, showed her a ray of hope. Dance as a whole is a competitive profession. It is also seasonal depending upon the need and demand of the market. There used to be times when she had no projects and hence no work at all. And this used to be a major down pull for her ‘always working’ nature. Ms. Parulekar gradually developed an interest in tarot card reading and psychic healing which she learned extensively. On the weekend thus, she used to take appointments for tarot card readings and tuitions for children related to financial subjects. The art of tarot reading and psychic healing further helped her a lot to overcome barriers that used to put her in stress.
Ms. Parulekar has done 3 collaborations up till now. She has worked with Tanya Sharma and Kritika Sharma (The Sharma Sisters, Star Plus actresses), Ms. Devoleena Bhattacharjee (Star Plus actress), and Ms. Shilpa Raizada (Star Plus actress).
Ms. Parulekar expresses her gratitude for her parents and her brother who always supported her. Even when she had to travel abroad and alone for projects and had to take rehearsals late at night, never she heard an if from her family. She is also thankful to her school teachers who always guided her and motivated her to choose this field as her career. Ms. Parulekar has some friends who live abroad but continuously take her name for her good in front of others which has helped her to secure many projects. Ms. Parulekar had started her online classes way back as she has a huge clientele out of India too.
One should do it with passion or not at all. All the discrepancies get out ruled when the master's in your court is your passion. Success is always achieved by ordinary people with extraordinary determination. One should never stop even before giving it a try!
- Team Satyavachan
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