Dharmesh Yelande: Was 19 when I quit college; started working as a peon

Dharmesh Yelande talks about his childhood in a tell-all interaction recently, how he quit college at the age of 19, worked as a peon and began teaching dance to kids

Dharmesh Yelande: Was 19 when I quit college; started working as a peon

Dharmesh Yelande Picture Courtesy: Yogen Shah

Dharmesh Yelande has not only made a name for himself in the field of dancing and choreography, but we have also seen him act in films like ABCD, ABCD 2, and Street Dancer 3D. His journey has been anything but easy.

In a tell-all interaction with Humans of Bombay, Dharmesh had a lot to reveal about his childhood, how he quit college at the age of 19, worked as a peon and began teaching dance to kids. He said, "Our lives turned upside down when the municipality demolished Papa's shop. So he opened up a tea stall – he'd make 50-60 rs a day; feeding a family of four was tough."

He added, "My grades dropped. I was 19 when I quit college. I started working as a peon & taught dance to kids–I'd make 1600 Rs a month. After, I'd rush to dance practice. But as I advanced to the senior batch, I quit my job & took up dance full-time. Around then, I worked as a backup dancer in a film–on set, I knew that's where I was meant to be."

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For the uninitiated, he had participated in the dance reality show Boogie Woogie. Another dance reality show, Dance India Dance, made him a household name. The actor-choreographer further revealed, "With my earnings, I bought a house for my family but still, Papa runs the same tea stall. I told him, 'You don't have to work anymore.' But he refuses. I think I've gotten this never-give-up attitude from him. Because even though there were hurdles, I just followed my heart."

Dharmesh is fondly called as 'sir' by his fans and Dharmesh says his mother also calls him 'sir' now. "My mom is a jovial and positive woman; she has supported me all throughout. She has seen me grow from a tea stall vendor, to auditioning for a dance reality show, climbing the radar to appear in a movie and now a mentor on 'Dance +'. She feels proud and respects me, which is why just like others even she has started to address me as sir," Dharmesh said in a statement.

Also Read: When Dharmesh Refused To Rate A Performance In Dance Deewane

Asked about how he got the title, Dharmesh said, "A few years ago, my students had performed at one of the reality shows and the judges were impressed. So when they asked them who their choreographer was, they said 'Dharmesh sir'.

"My performance was scheduled after theirs and when the judges asked me if my choreographer was also 'Dharmesh sir', I told them that I was Dharmesh. That's how I got the title."