Bollywood hits keep US fit

Following the success of Slumdog Millionaire and many crossover and Hindi films, Bollywood music and dances seem to have caught the fancy of Americans. The latest to get on the bandwagon are US-based fitness studios, writes Mona

Bollywood dances, with all their jhatkas and peppy music, have struck a chord with millions across the globe. After swaying a large number, now they are taking the world’s fitness studios, especially in the US, by storm.

These jhatkas provide a colourful and vigorous workout as well, which is why many Bollywood-style dance studios have sprung up in several US cities. And it’s not just the NRI crowd which is lapping it up, these dance workouts are pretty popular with Americans, too.

"These are vibrant, full of energy and so much more enjoyable than the boring gym regimen," say enthusiasts, whose profile varies from middle-age housewives to young college-goers, corporate crowd to wannabe actors and financial consultants to IT geeks.

Unarguably, the queen bee among the Bollywood-inspired fitness gurus, Sarina Jain is the founder of the cult-hit Masala Bhangra (MB), one of the top five workouts in the US. Blending traditional bhangra steps with the latest Bollywood music, she has created an exhilarating exercise regime, a fun way to burn calories and tone up.

"In my classes, students are encouraged to imagine themselves at a big fat Indian wedding or in a fanciful Bollywood movie," says Jain, while talking to The Tribune over the phone.

"I lost my father to cardiac arrest in 1994. He was just 47. It prompted me to come up with a fitness programme, geared towards Indians," reveals the woman, who has already been featured on Dr Oz’s TV show and Discovery Channel.

A fitness instructor for more than 19 years, Jain decided to combine her Indian heritage with her passion to create something as unique as MB.

Bollywood dance classes of Pooja Narang (in black costume) are a hit because they are different and provide a complete workout

Masala Bhangra is a full-body workout. "You can burn more than 650 calories per hour, improve cardiac endurance and shape up," claims Jain.

Masala Bhangra fuses India’s past and present, says Jain, whose classes are offered nationwide, with New York and Los Angeles being the main centres. "Bhangra is something very traditional, whereas Bollywood is modern," she asserts.

Originally a Marwari from Rajasthan, the fitness ace loves Punjab and makes it a point to visit her favourite state whenever she is in India. "Except for my Marwari entrepreneurship skills, I am a pakki sardarni," she beams. Jain’s devotion to Punjab has earned her many friends. "What Sarina is doing for Punjabi culture is really commendable," says Punjabi pop singer Jasbir Jassi. "Masala Bhangra rocks. It’s a symbol of happiness and fitness, and we Punjabis are known for it," says Jassi, who recently crooned for her video.

A performing powerhouse, Pooja Narang is credited with introducing Bollywood to the East Coast. Born in Canada (Toronto) to Punjabi parents, Narang had bhangra in her blood. But she wanted to know about a more challenging and acrobatic form of it. So, she flew to India to learn the traditional bhangra moves, later combining them with her jazz and hip-hop lessons.

Sarina Jain’s cult-hit Masala Bhangra is one of the top five workouts in the US. Blending bhangra steps with the latest Bollywood music, Sarina (with a microphone) has created an interesting programme to burn calories

Bringing her visionary style of dance to New York City, she started her dance school, Bollywood Axion, in 2003. And in the past seven years, the demand has steadily grown, says Narang (32).

"Bollywood dance classes are a hit because they combine various forms of dance styles with the classical and folk elements of Indian dance. It’s something different and gives one a complete workout. Add to it the infectious beats and peppy lyrics, and it offers a complete package," she quips. Her hip school, which is situated close to Times Square, offers three levels of Bollywood dance, as well as courses in the classical Indian dances.

"The age of my students ranges from 20 to late 40s. There are doctors, lawyers, engineers, actors and financial analysts," says Narang, who has also done workshops for Google.

Her unconventional workouts have a major fan following. "I like the energy, the music and the style. The sequences taught to us involve a lot of skipping, stomping, vigorous arm movements, spins and side stretches," says Alex Sirbiou, a Romanian, who enrolled in Narang’s classes three years ago. He loves bhangra so much that he even took a trip to Punjab to discover the culture behind the dance form. "He actually performs bhangra better than some of my Indian students," laughs Narang.

Then there is Chandan Hingorani from Mumbai, who finds time from his very demanding Wall Street job to pursue his first love — dancing. "I grew up performing at school and college functions. So, when I came here, I wondered how I would keep my passion burning. Then, I got to know about Pooja Narang’s classes and couldn’t resist jumping on to the dance bandwagon," tells Hingorani, who is now the dance partner of his guru.

Narang attributes the West’s enhanced interest in Bollywood to the success of films like Slumdog Millionaire, Bride and Prejudice, Bend it like Beckham etc. "After Slumdog Millionaire, there has been a curiosity and interest among the Americans about Bollywood’s chirpy song-and-dance sequences," says Narang, whose students have appeared in many films like Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Salman-starrer Jaaneman and Sushmita Sen’s Karma Aur Holi.

Once a year, Narang hosts a show (the recent one was held on February 27) in which her students, from all levels, give colourful performances for families and friends.

The Bollywood-style aerobics, or Bollyrobics as it is called is making big waves. Interestingly Bollyrobics has been created not by an Indian but by a European, Timm-Hendrik Hogerzeil. Hogerzeil and his dancer Julia Casper have carved a hot niche market for themselves.

The workout consists of three different dances (of 30-35 minutes duration), each with an increasing level of difficulty and unique style, which varies from the playful and sensual to dynamic and powerful.

Songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams (chaiyya chaiyya — remixed version; the original is from Dil Se) and Shah Rukh Khan’s Kal Ho Na Ho (Mahi ve) provide the music to these dances.

"People don’t want heavy-duty stuff.  My clients are looking for lighter, fun exercises and Bollyrobics delivers them the exact package," says Timm.

Timm loves India and Bollywood. "I grew up with a lot of Indian friends. In their houses, I was fed on a steady diet of Indian food, music and films. The icing on the cake was a one-year assignment with a production unit of an Indian film in 1995."

On what inspired him to come up with a ‘filmy workout’, he says: "Once while working out, I found the exercises quite gruelling. I realised there was a need for a different type of a workout, which is more sexy and stylish. I tried mixing Bollywood choreography with aerobics and it worked."

"The next step was finding a dancer. After many hectic auditions, we finally stumbled upon Julia Casper. She’s the best in the business. A real goddess," says Timm, who is currently working on a yoga DVD for kids. He is also penning a Bollywood film. And yes, there’s also a sequel to Bollyrobics in the pipeline.