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Tanyeli's the belle of belly dancing  It's a hot summer day in Mumbai and the blazing sun shows no sign of relenting. But director Apoorva Lakhia's Mission Istanbul unit is working at a frenzied pace, heat be damned. As I make my way into the airconditioned confines of the studio floor, I espy Turkish belly dancing sensation, Tanyeli, dressed in a fuschia costume, looking resplendent in all her dancing glory, matching steps with Zayed Khan to a tubthumping number. All eyes on the set are riveted on her as she entices the camera with her fluid movements and natural grace and rhythm. When her hips sway to the music, the rest of her flawless anatomy remains stationary like a Khajuraho sculpture and it's almost like a painting in motion. The shot elicits a standing ovation from the director and Zayed, with a characteristic "Mindblowing!" Mission Istanbul marks this exotic dancer's foray in Bollywood. But naturally, Tanyeli is excited. "This is my first film and it’s wonderful to be part of it! I love Bollywood. I have watched so many DVDs of Indian films and I am familiar with actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Zayed Khan. I have a lot of respect for Indian actors as American actors cannot do what they do. It’s a very tough job and requires tremendous patience," says Tanyeli. So, how did she get started with the belly dancing dance form? "I have been a belly dancer ever since I know myself. Belly dancing is in my blood. My grandmother too was a very famous and talented belly dancer. My philosophy is that if you don’t want to cry in life, then dance, otherwise you are a loser.
Sometimes I think I might have been an Indian in my past life because I started dancing as a child on an Indian song, Awaara Hoon," she says and goes on to hum the Raj Kapoor classic, making it sound like a remix of the original track with Turkish and Middle-Eastern influences. I’m visibly intrigued as she continues, "I am not a traditional belly dancer. My dance is a confluence of cultures Spanish flamenco, Indian, Turkish — dance is universal. So I have formulated my own style and I have opened a dance school in Sydney, Australia with my sister, called Tanyeli Dance Academy. I also have my own television show in Turkey. And of course, I perform live shows all over the world," says the globetrotter. All this keeps me very busy." Is this her first visit to India? "No, I first came to India in 2003 to perform at the Turkish Week in New Delhi, but have travelled to India many time since. But this is my first trip to Mumbai. I have Indian friends like Bina Ramani and her daughter Malini who are like family to me," she says. |
