They call themselves Bad Salsa. Kolkata girl Sonali Majumdar with her dance partner Maraju Sumanth are making waves in the reality show America's Got Talent with their killer moves. Sonali is just 15 and her father is a farmer in India. Their latest fusion salsa number on the song Tattad Tattad from the movie Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela is now going viral on social media. With this dance performance, the Kolkata duo has now reached the semi-finals of the show.
In a video shared on their Instagram handle, Sonali has revealed that her father is a poor farmer, who hails from Sholoardari, West Bengal. She went on to say that her father used to earn a mere dollar per day to feed his family.
Sonali shot to popularity when she appeared on India’s Got Talent in 2012. She also gave a stunning audition at America’s Got Talent in 2020 along with Maraju, who is now 20-year-old.
What You Should Know
- Kolkata-based Sonali Majumdar and her dance partner Maraju Sumanth performed a salsa number on America's Got Talent show.
- Sonali Majumdar's father is a farmer based in West Bengal.
- Sonali Majumdar has previously featured on India’s Got Talent in 2012.
Sonali's father used to earn Rs 80 per day
The two dancers are from the Bivash Academy of Dance (BAD), Kolkata. In the video, Sonali can be seen saying that her family faces challenges every day due to the lack of money and that some days they can't even afford food to eat. Further, she explains how only Bollywood films and regular dance practice kept her going through all these years.
Sonali also participated in Britain's Got Talent: The Champions. "I come from a distant village near the Bangladesh border where there was no electricity. My father is a farmer who used to earn approximately Rs 80 per day and had a tough time raising the family. After 'India's Got Talent', the village came into limelight and eventually electricity supply was made available. Now we own some land, and have built a house for our family," Sonali had told IANS, looking back at the challenges in her dance journey, New Indian Express reported.
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The duo rehearsed for 8-10 hours a day
To prepare for America's Got Talent, Sonali and Maraju practised for 8-10 hours a day. "We just focused on working hard with a positive intention of doing great work and followed our sir's instructions. Taking part in such a renowned show was always a distinct dream but Bivash sir made it possible for us. He has shaped us into who we are today. While rehearsing our only aim is to keep getting better so we can constantly provide electrifying performances," said Maraju.
Sonali had also appeared on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2013 and finished as the second runner-up. In 2017, she teamed up with Maraju and they appeared on the television series Dance Champions. In 2019, the duo appeared on Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions.
The dancing duo has won hearts for their unique interpretation of salsa to Bollywood songs such as Dhating Naach from the film Phata Poster Nikhla Hero. One of their videos has over 4.2 million views on Facebook and is being widely shared across social media sites.
https://www.facebook.com/AGTLiveTour/videos/255851525733995/
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Feature Image Credit: FilmiFeed
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