Entering that school becomes the pivotal moment in Manishs life.
I dont want to be an acrobat, Manish insists.
I want to be a dancer.
Shampaine Pictures/ARTE
We are swept up in his enthusiasm for fulfilling his dream.
Its the classic underdog story Manish has entered the ballet scene very late by the standards of most hopefuls.
Is he destined to get a contract with a dance company or to return home in crushing disappointment?
Manish Chauhan in classShampaine Pictures
Hes crushed when Yehuda tells him he wont make it in a classical ballet company.
You started too late.
And he knows just where to send him to train the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Gaaton, Israel.
Baldy, plays the character based on Yehuda).
A severe shoulder injury either caused or exacerbated by the film shoot sidelines Manish for a year.
Then the Covid pandemic interrupts the dreams and aspirations of performance artists everywhere.
Still, Manish wont surrender.
I cant give up, he says.
I love dancing and I will keep dancing.
Adding resonance to the cinematic experience is the endearing relationship between Yehuda and his prize pupils.
But his selflessness in supporting Manish turns him from a grizzly to a teddy bear.
Hes also beautiful, which Yehuda notes is one of his assets.
Producers are Priya Ramasubban, Cynthia Kane, and Leslie Shampaine.
Shampaine directs with Pip Gilmour.
Jennifer Beman White is the editor, with Hemal Trivedi as consulting editor.
Nainita Desai composes the score.
