Documentary Feature ‘Call Me Dancer’ About Mumbai Dancer Manish Chauhan Opens in New York on Dec. 15
- After a successful run at film festivals and winning several awards, the film is gearing up for it’s North American theatrical release.
When Manish Chauhan began dancing on the streets of Mumbai, he didn’t have the courage to tell his parents about his passion. He taught himself some dance moves including the backflip, fast footwork, top rock, and head spins. To the uninitiated it was acrobatics, but to Chauhan it was dance.
He secretly began attending an an inner-city dance school, without disclosing that he’s dropped out of school and used his fees for dancing. One day, he accidentally walks into a ballet class, he meets Ma’or Yehuda, a curmudgeonly 70-year-old Israeli teacher. That’s when his life trajectory changes. A hunger develops within him, and there begins Chauhan’s journey. Through his determination and passion, he fights the physical, financial, geographical odds stacked against him to pursue his dream career. He secured his first company contract in 2021 with New York City’s Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. He is now performing the title role in artistic director Igal Perry’s The Nutcracker.
That journey — from the Mumbai slums to the New York stage — forms the crux of “Call Me Dancer,” a documentary feature on his life story directed by Leslie Shampaine. After a successful run at film festivals and winning several awards, the film is gearing for it’s theatrical release. Beginning with New York this Friday (Dec. 15), the documentary will be later released in California, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Canada.
Ahead of the theatrical release, American Kahani spoke with Chauhan, and singer Jay Sean, who has composed two songs for the documentary, and is also one of the executive producers. Tracing the genesis of the documentary, Chauhan recalled how when he was first approached for the documentary, he didn’t realize that it would take five years to make. At the time, Chauhan was dancing Ma’or in Mumbai. “I instantly agreed to the film, and it went on for months, and years,” he told American Kahani. Sometime in the middle of filming, he recalled feeling tired. “It felt like a never-ending process.” But when he saw the final cut of the film, it looked “original,” and “the wait seemed worth it.”
Filmmakers have described “Call Me a Dancer” as a “heart-warming and uplifting story of struggle and tenacity, family, culture, rebellion, and an unlikely friendship.”
Filmmakers have described “Call Me a Dancer” as a “heart-warming and uplifting story of struggle and tenacity, family, culture, rebellion, and an unlikely friendship.” Filmed in India, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the United States. Apart from the two original songs by Sean, it includes music by Bangladeshi American hip-hop artist Anik Khan, and a score by British Indian composer Nainita Desai.
Sean was first approached to provide a couple of songs for the documentary. And in order to do that he had to tailor make them. “This is reverse engineering for me which was quite fun,” he said. “Normally you write a song and then it gets licensed for a movie, but this was the other way around,” he explains. He had to watch the documentary to know what kind of songs to make. When he saw it, liked the story and and wanted to be more involved. “Before you know it, I was on board as executive producer.” He’s “very proud” of being associated with the film. “Anything I put my name to has to be something I care about,” he said. “There’s so many stories out there that are never told — and this story needed to be told.”
He also shared how he composed music for the film. “Normally when I write a song I have an image of a music video in my head.” But in this case, he had to try and understand how his music “would enhance” what they had already done. And since its a dance movie, the dance sequences were already done. “It was done to a particular tempo to which I had to set the song, otherwise it would’ve felt that it’s just disjointed.”
Over the years, perceptions of pursuing a career in arts have changed, and are still changing, Chauhan says. He wants to bring dance companies from the U.S. to India so that the youth in India are encouraged to take up ballet dancing as a career. “I really want to give them hope and show them that it is possible.”
While he hopes that the documentary gives people hope and inspiration to dance, he insists that it is not just about dance. It explores various relationships as well — whether its child and parents, a student and teacher or siblings — as well as culture, community and grit and resilience. “These are aspects that will appeal to audiences worldwide.”
According to Jitin Hingorani, one of the executive producers, the documentary has “the power to open dialogue and create meaningful conversations between children and parents about the pursuit of their dreams, regardless of what careers they wish to choose.” He hopes that “entire families watch our film together this holiday season, as our gift to them is showcasing the power of the arts…and providing eternal hope.”