Stereotypically, belly dance is considered to be a talent and skill that women possess. However, Pirzada Tajumal has broken the glass ceiling and become the first male belly dancer from Kashmir.
Tajamul, who hails from the Kupwara district of North Kashmir, has been fond of dance and music since childhood.
Initially, his parents opposed his passion and dream to pursue a future in belly dancing. Not just that, he also had to face the wrath of the people around him and his community who would consistently pass taunt and criticize his choice of career.
Tajamul, who is now 24 years old, even said that he was beaten up by his father on various occasions for pursuing his passion. He would receive death threats too.
He said, "I used to get beaten up by her father every day because it was not allowed. I had to hear abuse from people too. I was called a eunuch and received death threats several times. At that time I felt very strange and bad and I even cried. And, I didn't know if I could move forward with my passion. But with the passage of time, everything started to improve..."
There's an old adage that fits perfectly here -"Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of the process." And to add to that, a pinch of humility, confidence and determination helps one go a long way!
And that's exactly what helped Tajamul overcome the atrocities that were meted out to him. He rose above all that and did it with utmost grace.
Tajamul says that the idea of pursuing belly dancing did not come to him initially, it was, instead, the dream of somebody he loved.
"Many years ago I fell in love with a girl. Now she is no longer in this world. She wanted to be a belly dancer but her parents did not allow her. I initially learnt the dance form to fulfil her desire but now I have made a career in it."
His claim to fame was a video of him performing belly dance at a private college event in Srinagar which went viral in 2017 and since then there has been no looking back!
Tajamul is also a nursing student but he devotes most of his time to dancing. Well, the heart wants what it wants! Right?
Apart from stage shows, he also teaches belly dance along with some Bollywood dance forms to children at a dance academy in Jammu.
When we spoke to him, he also mentioned that he idolizes Nora Fatehi and popular dancer Sapna Chaudhary. He wishes to make it big in life, just like Sapna.
Well, Tajamul's journey until now has been a difficult one, full of thorns. But there aren't roses without thorns! The key is to keep going on.
If not anything, Tajamul has given one and all a very important life lesson, that there is hope for everyone, you just have to look for it in the right place and while you do it, be optimistic about the future, and give your hundred per cent.
( With inputs from ANI )
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