Peerzada Tajamul, a 24-year-old from Kashmir, is a trailblazer. He is the region's first male belly dancer and has not abandoned his passion even in the face of harassment and death threats, news agency ANI reported.
Tajamul came into the spotlight in 2017, when a video of his performance at a college event went viral online. His dancing career took off: he began teaching at an academy and even performed abroad.
But continuing doing what he loves hasn't been easy.
Tajamul said he was beaten up by his father at home and verbally abused outside for his choices.
"I received death threats several times," he told ANI. "At that time, I felt very strange and bad and I even cried. And, I didn’t know if I could move forward with my passion."
But Tajamul is keeping the dream alive for the girl he loved and lost.
He had told NewsClick in 2018 that she was someone he knew since childhood.
She was harassed by her family, who was against her pursuing belly dancing, Tajamul told the website. At one point, the harassment became too much for her and she died by suicide.
"She made me promise that I will pursue the dream she had," Tajamul told NewsClick. "And I will continue doing it, I cannot stop."
His friends rallied behind him but Tajamul said he still had to endure derogatory comments, and threats, even from dancers.
"I don't care what people say," he added. "I don't have anything to prove to anyone."
Tajamul aspires to be a renowned stage performer. His family also eventually accepted what he wanted to do.
"My co-artists have helped me a lot and they also make my family understand my passion for dancing." he had told The Federal last year.
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