The Dancer, Model, Actor, mimic – all rolled into one meet Abhinav, the special kid.
Arms outstretched; Abhinav delivers Shah Rukh Khan’s signature pose to perfection. Meet Abhinav, a special kid, who by his grit, has achieved what most others only dream about. Abhinav has the congenital condition of Down’s syndrome (DS). The occurrence of this condition is about 1 in 1000 births. It is an intellectual disability and makes the kid special. Abhinav and his mother Neerja, share the story of their conjoined lives with Art Soul Life.
Where Abhinav lacks in terms of IQ, he more than makes it up with his EQ (Emotional Quotient). Bearing a congenial countenance, he has a disarming smile which puts those around him quickly at ease. Mild mannered and affable almost to a fault, it is impossible not to like Abhinav.
“It was tough, very tough,” Neerja recollects stoically. “Every day was a battle, and in many ways, it still is. Many people would not allow their children to play with Abhinav. Some used to ask us whether Abhinav was insane and feared that he might throw stones at other children and hurt them. Abhinav wouldn’t even hurt a fly, leave alone pelting stones. Abhinav used to ask me very innocently as to why other kids did not play with him. It was absolutely heart breaking. Well, such is the world we live in. There is a definite bias and several prejudices against special kids. But he does have a few good childhood friends, thank God for that.”
When asked about Abhinav’s talent as a dancer, Neerja went on to recount how and when it all started. “Actually, he was born with it. He always had a penchant for dancing. Beats and rhythms got to him in a way that is difficult to describe. Early on, he used to dance to the tune of TV commercial jingles and even to phone ring tones. Whenever invited to a party, he would first enquire if there was going to be a DJ. He would go to parties only to dance. Food, fun and frolic never mattered to him.”
Studies were tough for Abhinav. He was home schooled and managed to complete his secondary school. Meanwhile, he got praises from various quarters for his flair for dancing. At this stage he decided that he would pursue his passion full-time and become a dance performance artist. He enlisted at a Shiamak Davar Dance Academy to learn dance formally. However, most of Abhinav’s dancing is self-taught. Abhinav’s performs in Contemporary, Hip Hop and Bollywood dance styles, with the latter being his favourite. Amongst the actors known for their dancing prowess, Hritik Roshan is Abhinav’s favourite. Abhinav’s success mantra is to recognise one’s abilities and strengths and then work hard upon it. Abhinav credits his success to his mother, Neerja. Neerja has always encouraged him and stood by him. She is mother, friend, confidante, dance partner (when needed) and chief motivator to Abhinav. Abhinav gets “the never back down” streak from Neerja.
Abhinav is twenty-four now and has performed in more than 250 dance shows. He has also participated and has featured in many TV reality shows. Besides dancing, he is also making his mark as a promising actor and model. Very recently he has modelled for a Google advert. He has won more than 100 awards and citations, amongst them most notably, the President’s award National Award 2023 for “Shreshth Divyangjan” in the field of Art & Culture. The Award was conferred by Honourable President of India Smt. Draupadi Murmu.
Giving back to the world, Abhinav has started a modest dance academy at his residence, teaching other children who have Down’s Syndrome or are autistic or under privileged. This is entirely pro gratis.
Closing thoughts shared by Neerja
“A lot of work needs to be done by society to make it more inclusive and empathic towards special kids. Sometimes parents of special kids are to blame too. Some parents confine their special kids to their homes. They do this out of shame and some think that it is for the best. How will kids blossom as healthy individuals if they are confined and isolated? Do this to a normal kid and, he too would grow up to be mentally stunted.”
Abhinav’s contact details and social media presence:
Email: chaudhary.abhinav18@gmail.com
Youtube: Dancer Abhinav Chaudhary
Instagram: chaudhary.abhinav18
Facebook: Dancer Abhinav Chaudhary
Ph: +91-7838882269
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