Accident of fate
I met with an accident at the age of 17 in 1981. I suffered a fracture in the femur bone in my right foot and was admitted to a Government hospital in Trichy, South India. They didn’t clean my wound well and gangrene set in. Later, I was shifted to Vijaya hospital in Chennai. There the question was to save my life or limb. I had no option but to go in for amputation.
Heal deal
My parents were heart-broken as I was their only child. They had big dreams for me. I didn’t want them to feel that life had played dirty with them. So we hid our sadness from each other. We sat, talked and laughed as though nothing had happened. But often I’d go to the bathroom and cry. This was my defence mechanism. But I learnt to draw strength from my failures.
Best foot forward
I had decided that I would not go back to Mumbai with crutches. Eventually, I got a Jaipur (made of vulcanised rubber) foot fixed by Dr P K Sethi of Jaipur. Often, the line between gaining sympathy and getting hurt is very thin. After I had got the Jaipur foot fixed, my three close friends - Medha, Uma and Geeta had come to the airport to receive me. They had tears in their eyes. But I refused to take sympathy. Instead I asked cheerfully, ‘Hey, how are you’ll?’ That diffused the atmosphere. I began dancing once again, after two years on January 28, 1984.
My spouse, my support
It’s been 13 years since I have been married. I met my husband Ravi Dang, a Punjabi on the sets of the film ‘Seeta Salma Suzie’. He was the assistant director then. He was emotionally supportive. We got together because we realised that we had more than just affection for each other. Today, my husband is handling my dance academy where I teach every Sunday.
Gain in pain
I view the accident as a blessing because without it I would be one amongst the million women who dance. But dancing with the Jaipur foot makes me one of a kind. We come in this life with a purpose. I have been a ray of inspiration to not only the disabled but also the able. I am a real life heroine.
