Sudha Chandran: Icon of Extra Ability

Sudha Chandran was born in Mumbai on 21 September 1963. Sudha Chandran is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer and Indian film and television actress, who lost a leg to gangrene following a road accident while coming back from Madras with her parents in June 1981 near Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu.

Her decision to dance again after a gap of two years was met by thunderous applause. She received invitations from all over the world for performances. She was honored with various awards. She performed as far away from home as Europe, Canada and the Middle East. Soon after, she catapulted to fame and recognition by venturing into the world of films and television. She gained fame after the tragic incident. Nowshe has become an inspiration to many.

About her life, Shudha said recently: I began learning how to dance when I was 3 and a half years old. I was go to school then go for my dance and be back home only by 9:30 pm...and that's what my early life was about. In my 10th exams, I stood first with 80% but instead of picking science for my further studies, I chose arts ... just so that I could continue to dance. By this time I had performed at several events and done hundreds of stage shows...I was just about beginning when life took a strange turn. I was travelling from Trichy by bus, when we met with a major accident that left me with a fracture and some cuts-I was probably the least injured there. However, because of the heavy influx of patients, I was attended to by a couple of interns who forgot to attend to the cut on my right ankle and went ahead to wrap it up. This resulted in my foot getting gangrene and because of the fear of it spreading throughout my body, my parents had to take the difficult decision of amputating my right foot. I was shattered because It was only then that I realised just how passionate I felt about dancing. I began to learn how to walk again and it took me 4 months to even walk straight. Once I got the Jaipor leg, it took me 3 years of physiotherapy to recover and feel normal again. I remember people would come home and say things like, 'it's so sad your dreams can't come true' or 'we wish you could dance' when I decided to re-learn what I had known my entire life-to dance. It was a slow and painful process but with every step I learnt I knew that this is what I wanted.

Finally one day, I went to my dad and told him that I was ready to perform again...and he was shocked! I was to perform in St.Xaviers college on Sunday when the Sunday morning headline read - 'Looses a Foot, Walks a Mile' and the show was completely sold out! I began to get nervous before going up on stage when my Grandmother told me, 'Don't worry, God is with you...let the miracle happen.' but I was so angry that I said, 'If God was with me he wouldn't ever do this to me!' Believe it or not, the show ended, I performed the Varanyam with ease and received a standing ovation. When I was home, my dad came upto me and touched my feet saying that I'm touching the feet of the Goddess Sarasvati because you have done the impossible and that has been the moment that touched me the most. It was after that, that I received so much respect from the media, got an offer to act in a film based on my life and received all of the opportunities that I have today. What my grandmother said was true -- God was with me. Even if I didn't see it then, he was with me all along and that's the irony of life-- that an accident so fatal, can still be a blessing in disguise.

Sudha Chandran has done several films in various languages. The 1984 Telugu film Mayuri, in which she plays herself, was inspired by her life story. The 1986 film Nache Mayuri was a Hindi remake of the Telugu original, in which the cast was changed except for Sudha to suit the North Indian sensibilities. She was awarded the 1986 Special Jury Award at the National Film Awards for her performance in Mayuri.

Her career in television includes Kaahin Kissii Roz where she often cited as a symbol of 'will power'. She is also one among the judges in popular reality show Super Dancer Junior Series on Amrita TV and was a judge for the reality dance show Maanada Mayilada in the sixth season. Currently one of her projects includes replacing Aishwarya and playing the role of Bhuvana in Thendral.

If Sudha Chandran can do it,
Thank's for mail :- http://www.bollywoodhunts.com/