Hard Work and Training Are Extremely Important - Anasua Chowdhury

Want to become a writer at Eat My News? Here is an opportunity to join the Board of Young Leaders Program by Eat My News. Click here to know more: bit.ly/boardofyoungleaders

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

Well to start, my name is Anasua Chowdhury. I am 25 years old. Born and brought up in Kolkata. Shifted to Mumbai for work 6 years ago! The first appearance on television was as a finalist of India's Got Talent season 5! Right after the fame I achieved, I got a call for the cult very famous youth show then called Dil Dosti Dance! Auditioned and eventually bagged the role for Huma in the show!

The show went extremely well, and so did my fame. Immediately I started getting recognised by people! Travelling by local means became difficult so had to cover myself up and travel! Unfortunately, the show had to end for some reasons, and that's how one of the most beautiful and learning experiences of my life came to an end!

Post that I did a couple of episodics like Savdhan India, Fear Files, Shapath, C.I.D e.t.c and eventually bagged the role of Diya in another dance tv show called D4 Get up and Dance! That show also ran pretty well and again had to end for an unfortunate event! 

Post that, I got back to my dancing again! With acting, I was really not getting time to train at all! Another dance reality show called Dance Plus season 3 came along where I along with my crew members called House of Suraj participated in the show and reached till top 8!! 

This another beautiful journey came to an end. Then my life kind of took a turn completely. I got a movie song to choreograph from my friend's contact. I was very excited so I said yes! And then, later on, I got to know I had to shoot the song in London.

It was a big risk for me as I had never worked as an assistant choreographer before and I had no idea how a song is usually shot as I was always on the screen and not behind the screen. That's how my journey as an assistant choreographer started. My first song is a peppy one where I incorporated my style waacking and vogue. Something new that no one would have seen before! 

It was 2017!! Since then I have been working as an assistant choreographer. Currently working for one of the choreographers Bosco-Caesar. I still love acting though so whenever I get a chance I do some odd jobs may be advertisements, or episodic, just keep that side of me alive! But I definitely wish to be a big choreographer someday!

2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue dancing and how did you start?

I have always loved dancing. It was/is a part of my life. I started dancing since I was 3. But yes I never thought I would take it up as my career. I realised I can't live without dancing when I was studying Engineering 2nd year. I had no time for my dance, and I was missing it badly.

That's when IGT happened, and eventually, D3 came in my life. That's when I decided this is it! Its a sign! This is what I am meant to do!

3. Who is your favourite dancer and why?

I have a lot of favourite dancers, not just one! So maybe I am gonna name some - Pt. Birju Maharaj, Tyrone Proctor, Princess Lockeroo, Kumari Suraj, LipJ, Kumar Sharma, Sahil Khan, Ankan Sen, Madhuri Dixit, Philip Chbeeb, Keone-Mari Madrid and the list goes on!!

All these dancers have inspired me a lot and have taught me a lot of things. Just about movement, or expression, the flow, the feel and much more depth of dancing!

4. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as a dancer?

There are actually many career paths you can go as a dancer. You can become as an assistant choreographer and eventually become a choreographer someday (it will take a LOT of time so please have patience)!

If you love dancing you can work as a backup dancer in movies, shows, musicals, music videos e.t.c. You can take up Sangeets and choreograph for weddings. You can try to feature in advertisements.

You can start travelling and teaching or just take classes, workshops in institutes or maybe online right now. There are a lot of options! You really just need to clear your head and think for a bit which way you wanna go.

5. Is formal training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

I feel some people are really born with it without even having proper training in dance or techniques. They are just really lucky! So people who are just absolutely amazing without training should definitely go for it and try to make a career out of talent. And for those who are not born with it, TRAIN! Training is very very very important.

I would definitely recommend the basic training of any dance form. Without base and technique, you can't really learn any dance form on your own.

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?

I would just like to say that please have patience. In this field, hard work and training is very important and so is your luck. You never know when it clicks and you land up a role as a dancer character in a movie or you end up getting a big song for a big movie as a choreographer. Just have patience! Everything will fall into place.

7. Which is your favourite book and why?

I really love Dan Brown! So it has to be The Da Vince Code by Dan Brown! A classic book loved by all I am sure. I loved it because I love mystery, thriller, suspense and all the more the way Dan Brown has described all the characters and the situation was so engrossing. It was like I was walking along with them in that situation. I finished the book in just 2 days!!

Interview by - Suhani Mangleek