Don’t let expectations affect me: Mekhola Bose

For Mekhola Bose, dancing has always been her passion. Over the past 11 years, she has worked hard to promote the waacking dance style in India. Hailing from Kolkata, Mekhola has been praised for her fluid and expressive movements, influencing the freestyle dance community in both Kolkata and Mumbai. After her impressive performance in ‘Yeh Ballet’, director Sooni Taraporevala has again roped in Mekhola for ‘Waack Girls’, an original series, streaming on ‘Prime Video’. Set and shot in Kolkata, the series brings together six young women who are united by their love for dance and individual stories.

So, is waacking popular in India and Kolkata, we asked Mekhola, to which she shared that this street dance style, which originated in the 1970s on the West Coast, has a limited community in cities like Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata. “However, it is steadily growing in places like Delhi, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Kerala. The Northeast is embracing waacking enthusiastically too,” she said.

For Mekhola, it doesn’t matter if she is seen in two back-to-back dance projects like ‘Yeh Ballet’ and ‘Waack Girls’. “I am a dancer. It’s part of my skill set. I’d be happy to play a dancer as many times as possible,” she smiled.

For anyone, the pressure of being the granddaughter of the legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee would have been taxing. But not for Mekhola. “There’s no pressure on me. I have a very supportive family and I don’t let such expectations affect me,” said the Kolkata girl, who is willing to audition for any role that she finds interesting. As for Bengali films, Mekhola is open to being a part of them if the right opportunity comes along. “If there’s a part for me and I crack the audition, I’d definitely take it,” she said, although she admitted she doesn’t actively keep track of Bengali cinema.

Through her dedication to dance and acting, Mekhola continues to explore her passions and make her mark on her own terms.