Published 15:30 IST, December 12th 2020
Dharmesh Yelande shares his emotional success story, reveals how he proved his mom wrong
Dancer and actor Dharmesh Yelande recently shared his emotional success story, revealing how his mother once asked him to focus on job for money and not dance
Dancer and actor Dharmesh Yelande recently shared his emotional success story which featured on a Humans of Bombay post. From being penniless to 'getting paid in lakhs for guest appearances', the 37-year-old penned his life story of how he went from being a peon to being one of the most acclaimed dancers of India. He shared about his initial struggles, his parents' role in his career, his failures, and more.
Dharmesh's Initial Struggles
Dharmesh shared that his life had turned 'upside down' after the municipality demolished his father's shop. Even though his father started a tea stall to sustain their family, he earned only about '50-60 Rs' a day, and with that income, 'feeding a family of four was impossible'. Dharmesh mentioned that he was never good at school and always wished to become a dancer. He would 'dance his heart out' while imitating Govinda, he said.
Despite their poor financial circumstances, his father allowed him to join a dance class but that lead to a drop in his grades. He even failed a few times and by the time he was 19, he quit college. He started working as a peon and side by side taught dance to school kids.
Road to Success
Dharmesh moved to Bombay to follow his dreams of becoming a dancer. Even though his mother would say ‘Job pe dhyan do, dance se paise nahi ayenge’, to him 'dance was like breathing', something he could not give up. He soon participated in Boogie Woogie and won Rs 5 Lakhs which he used for paying off his father's debt. Dance India Dance happened soon after, and even though he did not win, it gained him 'immense popularity'
After DID, he started 'getting paid in lakhs for guest appearances on dance shows' and went on to choreograph for stars like Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Some of Dharmesh Yelande's shows include Dance Plus, Ek Level Up, etc. Soon after that, he appeared in Remo D'souza's film ABCD and the rest is history. Dharmesh Yelande's net worth allowed him to purchase a house for his parents in Baroda. Dharmesh says that he owes his 'never-give-up' attitude to his father and that he is still 'a little boy dancing to the tunes of Govinda, without a care in the world'
Updated 15:30 IST, December 12th 2020