Shiraz Irani (25) is on cloud nine as she is set to compete on a national platform where she will showcase what she does the best &mdash; belly dancing. &ldquo;It has been my dream for the last 2-3 years to perform on a national platform and I have achieved it. Now, I am just waiting for the finale and I hope to win it too,&rdquo; says Irani, as she rehearses for the final show. <img alt="" src="http://images.mid-day.com/2012/nov/Shiraz.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 287px;" /> Belly dancer Shiraz Irani Struggle pays off Considered as plump by society, Irani had a rough childhood and suffered from a back injury which halted her dance practice for two years.u00a0Irani says, &ldquo;I was into Bollywood dancing along with Salsa and Folk Dance before I moved to belly dance. I have been dancing since I was in 8th standard. Initially my parents were completely against it. I had a tough time finding an instructor as well since Belly Dancing was not a popular dance form in India. But I did not give up. I started learning the dance form by watching videos on Youtube and through DVDs. And I overcame my misconception that being an obese person would be a constraint as a dancer.&rdquo; Now, after a few years, she has got a chance to prove her point to society. <img alt="" src="http://images.mid-day.com/2012/nov/Shiraz1.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 311px;" /> No weighty woes Irani laughs when you ask her about her weight, &ldquo;After three months of rigorous shooting, I have lost 9 kilos. It&rsquo;s not that I don&rsquo;t like my body to be fit and beautiful; I, too, consider it as a temple. Hence, I&rsquo;m working out for it. Earlier I used to think very differently. I used to go on auditions, only to listen to rejections. I tried India&rsquo;s Got Talent by considering it as another chance given, but my selection changed my entire world. I am a completely different person now. I feel satisfied. I would love to become an inspiration for those who are overweight. If I can do it, so can they.&rdquo; Favourite judges Commenting about her favourite judges, Shiraz says, &ldquo;I love Kirron Kher and Farah Khan. They are very inspiring off camera as well; they are good human beings and despite being stars, they are very down-to-earth. With their comments, they inspire me every time I perform,&rdquo; says a delighted Irani. For the finale, Irani has been given a Yash Chopra theme. &ldquo;I will be shaking my belly to the tunes of &lsquo;Krazzy kiya re&rsquo;. We will also perform in groups which can be very demanding for individual performers like me,&rdquo; u00a0she adds. <img alt="" src="http://images.mid-day.com/2012/nov/Shiraz2.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 315px;" /> If I win &ldquo;If I win, It&rsquo;s not only me who will win; there are lakhs of people, especially people who feel that they can&rsquo;t do certain activities because of their weight. It would be their victory also. I also dream about opening up my own belly dancing academy with the winning prize amount where only women can learn the dance form. I also look forward to give a part of the money to the children from my city who are less privileged and deserve better prospects,&rdquo; she concludes. u00a0

Canvas from Belgium 

City-based dancer Shiraz Irani has made Punekaris proud by entering into the final round of a reality show India's Got Talent. She shares her journey with The Guide

Dancing to her own beat

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Dancing to her own beat

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