Dance has given me my identity, made me what i am: Prateeksha Kashi

As the daughter of Kuchipudi exponent Vyjayanthi Kashi and Kannada actor Vijay Kashi, Prateeksha was always surrounded by the ripples of dance. But as a little girl, she didn’t feel like picking the obvious choice before her — the life of an artiste. She waited for the art to whisper in her ears that it’s time, and then decided to give dance, her all.Prateeksha Kashi, who was recently in Kochi for a performance, says she is excited to have performed in Kerala yet again. “I think Kerala has now become my second home, and I’m not even exaggerating. My association with the State has grown over the years. It started with the Thrissur-based culture and heritage foundation Kalabharati, a couple of years ago. My friend, actress-dancer Paris Laxmi and her husband had hosted me at their place in Vaikkom. This year, I came to Trivandrum alone at least thrice.”
But it’s not just through dance that Kerala becomes special for Prateeksha. “It’s also where my first feature film in Sanskrit, Priyamanasam (the movie that won the National Award for best Sanskrit movie), was born. I’m happy to have played the lead role in it.” However, dance is her priority, though she is passionate about acting and wants to do selective scripts. “Dance is what has given me that opening, identity and made me who I am today. I owe it all to the art.”
Prateeksha recalls growing up, surrounded by dance. “When I was growing up, I was not introduced to dancing as a hobby or a weekend class, or a profession. It was a way of life. My mother took me along to music studios for recording, I used to talk to her senior students and attend practice sessions. I never took a break from dance – be it during my Class 10 and 12 exams or IIT preparations.”
Interestingly, dance was never her only focus in life. “I was interested in science, so I took it up for further studies. People questioned my decision, but I said it’s all connected and sharpens your mind, helps you multi-task and be flexible.” She worked for a couple of years and “went with the flow”. “I could handle both work and dance as my company was quite supportive. But I resigned when it got to a point where I realised I can’t say ‘no’ to a show,” she says.
Her mother Vyjayanti Kashi is known for her presentations of rebellious women characters like Jhansi Rani, Rudrama Devi, Sita, Draupadi, Gandhari. “You name a strong character and she has worked on the theme. Initially, I wanted just to be like her. It’s later when she asked me what I specially want to do, that I began thinking about my own concepts.”
One of Prateeksha’s works is about how each woman has a purpose in life. “Each of us is different. Unless you understand that, we will get disheartened. Everyone has a purpose in life, in the bigger picture,” she explains.