Team Biography
Ishaara is a co-ed Bollywood dance group that fuses the modern dance style found in the movies of India's Film Industry with traditional dance that dates back thousands of years. The ten members of this troupe are students who are either currently attending or recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Competing together at state and national levels for the past two years, they have built a strong comraderie that has contributed to the energy and spirit they bring to the stage. They credit much of their success to the love and support of their families, who not only understand the significance of spreading their culture through communities across the nation but also recognize each dancer's profound passion for the dance. After having spent endless hours practicing in parking garages and designing costumes by hand, they are ready to take their Bollywood production to the next level. They are constantly searching for new opportunities to display their unique blend of vibrant costumes, powerful music, heart-wrenching drama and dynamic performance.
Shahil Patel
Head Captain, Choreographer, Lead Dancer, Visionary & Founder of IshaaraHometown: Yorba Linda, CA
Favorite Movie: Taare Zameen Par
Favorite Song: O O Jaane Jana (from the movie Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya)
Favorite Music Video: Mukkala (from the movie Kadhalan)
Shahil is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley with a double major in Economics and Psychology. He joined the Bollywood dance team at Berkeley as a freshman in college. However, never having danced before, he faced tremendous difficulties in improving his ability. After two years of immense dedication and hard work, Shahil became captain and lead dancer of his team. He founded Ishaara at that point in time and has been pushing the organization forward ever since.
Above all else, Shahil really wishes to see Bollywood dance grow in America. He believes so strongly in its unique capacity to entertain and make people smile. It is his mission to share his experiences with others, and show the world how Bollywood can truly change lives!
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Shahil Patel
Head Captain, Choreographer, Lead Dancer, Visionary & Founder of Ishaara
Hometown: Yorba Linda, CA
Favorite Movie: Taare Zameen Par
Favorite Song: O O Jaane Jana (from the movie Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya)
Favorite Music Video: Mukkala (from the movie Kadhalan)Coming Soon
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Sian Bentson
Captain, Choreographer, Lead Dancer, & Founder of Ishaara
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, CASian Bentson is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley from the department of Environmental Science. With a fully Indian mother and an American father, she has been fortunate enough to experience the lifestyles of two beautiful but shockingly different cultures. She currently resides in Southern California but travels to India once or twice a year to connect with her family and friends on the other side of the world. Trained as a tap dancer, she discovered her passion for other types of dance, specifically Bollywood, during her second year of college. Sian is mostly proud and excited to have the opportunity to promote Bollywood throughout America and more importantly to fuse the two cultures together, representing the true nature of her being.
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Nickesh Viswanathan
Hometown: Saratoga, CA
Favorite Movie: Gupt
Favorite Song: Ek Pal Ka Jeena (from the movie Kahona Pyar Hai)
Favorite Music Video:Ishq Kameena (from the movie Shakti)Nickesh Viswanathan is a Junior at UC Berkeley and is studying Bio-Engineering with a cell&tissue engineering/pre-med focus. Nickesh is a big fan of Tamil films as well as Bollywood films, and enjoys dancing to Tamil songs very much. He currently lives in Berkeley but goes back to his home town of Saratoga, California as often as once a week. Nickesh as been performing Bollywood dances since the age of 5 for various shows and competitions with his childhood Bollywood team, "Rhythms of Fire". A lifetime of experience and understanding in Bollywood has brought Nickesh to Ishaara, and continues to be the underlying motivation for all the effort he puts into this activity. Whether a career or a passion, dancing will always be a major component of Nickesh's life.
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Shivani Mehta
Captain, Choreographer & Founder of Ishaara
Hometown: Chino Hills, CA
Favorite Movie: Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Favorite Song: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai)
Favorite Music Video: Dhoom Again (from the movie Dhoom 2)Hello! My name is Shivani (aka shivi, shiv, shivs, shiversss) and I'm 23 years old born and raised in Southern California. I graduated from UC Berkeley in '08 with a B.S. in Nutritional Science. Bollywood has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Dancing and listening to Bollywood beats ALWAYS makes me happy and brightens my day; and, I'm sure if you start, you'll never stop. While my passion for this dance continued to grow over the years, I was also was involved in ballet, tap, and jazz. However, my basic style of dancing comes from 15 years of training in Kathak, a classical North Indian dance. I also LOVE the Lakers! In my free time, I like reading, watching movies, and having a blast with friends. Live, Love, Laugh!
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Neeraj Kohirkar
Hometown:Irvine, CA
Favorite Movie: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Favorite Music Video: Chand Taare (from the movie Yes Boss)Neeraj Kohirkar is currently an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley pursuing his bachelors in business administration. But besides his academic life, he lives and breathes music. His interests include dancing, singing, playing the keyboard, and arranging English and Indian music. And this unrelenting inner fire for music brought him to Ishaara, a team of motivated and enthusiastic students. Through this team, he not only experienced priceless performances and competitions all over the nation, but also made a circle of friends that he hopes to keep forever. He feels extremely privileged and excited to help bring Bollywood music to American culture, representing the young and driven generation of America!
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Amlu Natesan
Hometown: Cupertino, CA
Favorite Movie: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Favorite Song: Woh Ladki Hai Kahan (Dil Chahta Hai)
Favorite Music Video: Bye Bye Bye by N'syncAmlu Natesan, formerly known as Alamelu, is a third year at UC Berkeley double majoring in Molecular Cell Biology and Sociology. Being a true Californian girl, Amlu grew up in the Bay Area where she was lucky enough to have experienced the wonderful Indian culture of the community. Amlu's formal training includes the South Indian classical dance style of Bharatanatayam for the last fourteen years from Nrithyollasa Dance Academy. Other styles that have shaped the enthusiasm of her dancing include Tamil Folk, and the Jazz & Hip-Hop she learned through her high school dance team. Combining all these experiences, she found a true home in college with Bollywood dancing- which has been her passion and motivation through school. Outside of dance, Amlu loves her family, singing, basketball, laughing, Cupertino and the T.V. show Friends.
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Anwesh Thakur
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Favorite Movie: Koi Mil Gaya
Favorite Song: Yun Hi Chala Chal (from the movie Swades)
Favorite Music Video: Dil Na Diya (from the movie Krrish)Anwesh Thakur is currently a sophomore at UC Berkeley and is pursuing a major in Bioengineering with a Pre-Med track. He has explored numerous activities, yet only one has truly stayed. Dance. After being pushed into small cultural performances at the age of 6 by his parents, he fell in love immediately. With the guidance of a few older friends on a dance team called "Aavartan" his dancing skills expanded, encouraging him to learn other styles such as Hip-hop. Growing as a dynamic dancer, he joined Ishaara bright-eyed and yearning for the opportunity to show his passion to the world with his beloved friends and teammates. Bollywood, here we come!
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Priya Tanna
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Favorite Movie: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Favorite Song: Mauja Hi Mauja
Favorite Music Video: Buttons by Pussycat DollsPriya Tanna is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Psychology. Her interest in dance began at a young age and it has become one of her biggest passions. For as long as Priya can remember, she has been dancing to Bollywood tunes in front of her mirror idolizing her favorite actors and actresses. Along with Bollywood dance, she has had formal training in Bharanatyam and was a member of the competitive Raas/Garba team at UC Berkeley. Aside from dance, Priya enjoys drawing, photography, traveling, Harry Potter, music, and eating to her heart's content. Priya currently lives in San Diego, California where she was born and raised. Her love for Indian culture and dance has brought her to Ishaara, and she is excited to show the world what Bollywood is all about.
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Prashant Shukla
Member, Founder of Ishaara
Hometown: Saratoga, CA
Favorite Movie: Dil To Pagal Hai
Favorite Song: Chaiyya Chaiyya
Favorite Music Video: Chaiyya ChaiyyaPrashant is a senior at UC Berkeley triple majoring in Economics, Business, and Environmental Economics. He lived in Malaysia for the first 10 years of his life, and then made his way to sunny California. One constant that stuck with him throughout was his love for Bollywood and its music and dance. He got involved with dance in his last year of high school, and carried that passion with him to college where he formed Ishaara and competed on a national stage. Prashant loves rap music, basketball, tv shows, and spicy food.
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Meghna Bhatter
Hometown: Calabasas, CA
Favorite Movie: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Favorite Song: Jaane Kyun
Favorite Music Video: Larger than Life by Backstreet BoysMeghna Bhatter (aka butters, buttercup, megz, meghi, moogs, pretty much anything works) is going to be a sophomore at UC Berkeley. Dance has been a huge part of her life since the age of three and while her childhood was spent in jazz and ballet classes, she just recently entered the world of Bollywood and fell in love. She has always loved Bollywood movies, Bollywood music and Bollywood actresses and actors, especially SHAHRUKH KHAN! She loves laughing and playing cards and games and she absolutely LOVES ICE CREAM. She is super hyper and enthusiastic about life AND SHE JUST WANTS TO BE A BOLLYWOOD STAR!
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