Choreographed to create change

People with disabilities have a lot of talent and the world should be aware of this. see us only with pity; this view needs to be changed,” shares Patparganjresident Husnain (29), who has been practising the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam for the past 18 years.

- DYUTI ROY

Husnain has been in a wheelchair since childhood. Speaking of how demotivated he felt at one point, he mentions he felt like he did not belong. "My house had a number of stairs; I did not know how I'd manage without someone's help,” he says.

The one joy in Hussain's life was performing arts. His love for dance only grew once he joined the Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust, an Anand Viharbased voluntary organisation that rehabilitates persons with disability. After training here, Husnain performed at the city's Talkatora Stadium in 2003 for the first time. There was no looking back since. "Many would agree that Indian classical dance forms, especially Bharatanatyam, are not for persons with disabilities. That did not discourage me. I started training. There were times I would fall down, even bleed. But I kept going on," he shares.