Subhashni Giridhar, Mumbai

Subhashni Giridhar, Mumbai

Driven by passion for BharathaNatyam from the age of 8, I continue to give 1.5 hours solo performances for over 20 years, only due to pure love for this Great Art of classical dance – BharathaNatyam and bliss I derive. My website www.subhashni.com

My profession does not have any thing common with my passion. Yes, Professionally I am a Chartered Accountant.

On October 28th 2011, when after my dance rehearsal, I had a dreadful fall (an accidental one) which resulted in the tear of ACL ligament and other meniscus ligament tear, my worry about my upcoming dance program overtook the swelling and unbearable pain. Two doctors whom I consulted advised me to cancel the program on October 30. But I had to keep my commitment since the program was at ISKCON, Lord Krishna’s temple. I was sure; Lord shall definitely take care of me, since my dance was an offering to Lord Krishna Himself. So I went ahead with the program, avoiding the fast tillana. As expected it was one more successful and satisfying performance in my dance career.

A knee for a dancer is as important as are hands to a painter. This I realized when I had this fall resulting in multiple ligaments tear in my knee. There was severe pain in the knee and It was giving way, I was not even able to stand.

After MRI scan confirmed multiple ligament tear, Surgery was unavoidable. So I sought the best treatment since I wanted to continue my passion and did not want to give any reason or excuse for discontinuing my very first love and passion i.e. classical dance.
Achievers are not quitters and quitters are not achievers and going gets tough, the tough get going. When there is a determination to continue and achieve, nothing can stop.

A very eventful day in my life was my surgery day, since for other patients, it would have been just a question of walking,for me it was more than that, requiring to do the various difficult steps continuously for more than an hour and continue to give many more performances.

Thanks to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital, which gave the best treatment and homely atmosphere. I was operated by one of the best orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. DinshawPardiwala,specialist in Arthroscopic knee surgeries.

It was indeed a very disheartening fact for a swift dancer to be bed bound for 2 months, totally immobile for 3 weeks in a full leg brace (to keep the operated leg straight for 24 hours for 3 weeks). As a result, all muscles were dead due to complete inactivity for 3 weeks.

Post-surgery care was most difficult part since being a dancer, with a demanding CA profession and also used to cooking as a homemaker, I was so used to swiftness and fast turnings and bending, stretching and climbing and reaching out to things. Rehabilitation and regular weekly physiotherapic exercises at Ambani hospital, - lifting weights in the operated leg, leg curls, doing lunges, squats, heel raises, cycling, balancing in bosu ball, stork, walking in the tread mill etc. I continued this meticulously by joining a gym. After 4 months of this routine, my multitasking life once again resumed with my CA and dance practice. Happiest day in my life was when I started resumed my dance practice.

Again, On 8th February 2015, I performed for 90 minutes on the eve of silver jubilee of my dance career.
Thanks to Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and Ambani Hospital.