Actress Namita Lal speaks about her love for dance; “I try to throw in a dance move every morning, right after I get out of bed, with one of my favorite songs”
Actress-producer Namita Lal’s latest film Oxygen is currently streaming on Zee5. The actress who recently won the Jury Award for Best Actress at the Caleidoscope Indian Film Festival in Boston, USA, is a huge fan of dancing. If you follow her social media, you definitely know about her passion for dancing. And most importantly, she doesn’t need any occasion or stage to dance. Sharing more on her passion for dance, the banker-turned-actress says, “I absolutely love dancing. Dancing and singing are my go-to activities any day, any time. I’m so fond of dancing that I try to throw in a dance move every morning, right after I get out of my bed, with one of my favorite songs. It’s incredible what dancing can do to you. When you get up first thing in the morning and start your day with a dance, or if you’re stepping out of the house and you start with a dance, or even before going to a party, start with a dance at home because it just brightens up your mood. It brings so much movement into life and so much happiness—at least for me. I think it’s something highly recommended for everyone.”
Namita also believes that any kind of dance form is a path to good fitness. She says, “My favorite form of fitness is also dancing. Even when I’m walking, I feel like getting into a dance as soon as I put on music—whether it’s Latino, Bollywood, regional, or any other form of music, It just gets me going! Whether it’s The Beatles, ABBA, or Boney M. being my favorite, I just can’t resist. So yes , as I’m walking, I dance. As I’m standing, I dance. As I’m cooking, I dance. It’s a great way to make fitness a natural part of your being, your living, and your life.“
Namita shares that she has learnt dancing when she was quite young, in her early school days. She has learnt Bharatnatyam. She says, “Bharatnatyam really helped me to develop a very flexible style. Thanks to Bharatnatyam, I can move my neck forward, backward, and sideways with ease, and my hands move gracefully in that distinct Bharatnatyam style. It’s a very fluid and flexible dance form, and I believe it played a big role in shaping my love for dance. Even when I do free-flow dancing, I feel like there’s always a hint of Bharatnatyam moves within me.”
She also adds, “Any form of dance is my favorite. I love my free flow. I am a very free-flowing dancer. But I love jiving. I’ve tried my hands at salsa. I love watching classical dance.“
But will we see Namita in any dance reality show? She says,”Never say never. Though I’m not very good at it. I don’t particularly enjoy highly choreographed dancing for myself. If I have to do it, absolutely, I’ll do it, and I’ve done it a few times as well. But for me, free style is the best. So, I don’t know about a reality show, but if I were given a chance—yes, why not?”
Speaking about her favourite dancers Namita shares,”There are so many. John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, then all the musicals from the old times. The movies of the 60’s featuring Vyjayanthimala, Waheeda Rehman. I grew up learning to love dance because my parents used to watch films. And then there is Helen, she is so good in ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’ in Sholay. There’s Amitabh Bachchan—my favorite dancer. And then came Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, and Hrithik Roshan. Dance is such a big part of Indian films. Now, of course, there’s Naatu Naatu from the film ‘RRR’ which I just loved. Even in the western world, I love watching musicals. I absolutely enjoy going to the theater in London for musicals—whether it’s ABBA or Queen. My all-time favorite dance movies are Dirty Dancing and Saturday Night Fever. I can watch them again and again—they make me unbelievably happy! The dancing in these films is just outstanding. More recently, I’ve fallen in love with Mamma Mia (the musical based on ABBA). The dancing in that movie is also something I can watch repeatedly without ever getting tired of it. Even among Indian films, there are so many I love!“
