 A
professional. Does this description qualify a nine year
old national awardee? Yes, for Upasana Upadhyay,
a sober child prodigy. As a dancer and child actress,
Upasana doesn't seem to go wrong any time. Born in Bhopal
on February 25, 1991 to a Hyderabadi Raju Upadhyay
and Hemalatha Upadhyay, she was carried away,
as a three month old baby, to Bhutan where her
father was working as an architect with UNDP. At
the age of three and half years they returned to Hyderabad.
Once Upasana had gone to Andhra Balananda Sangham
when she saw children sing and dance. She was
so taken up that she virtually compelled her parents to
let her learn to dance. The parents easily gave in and
stood behind her in her newfound interest.
Upasana learned  with
such devotion that she gave her first performance when
she was only five and half. From then on, there was no
looking back. Till date, in her 4 year career of dance
she has given about 200 performances. Besides, she participated
in numerous competitions, returning each time with either
a first or second prize.
She has given performances abroad too. In 1998, she conducted
a one month dance tour of America on the invitation of
American Telugu Association (ATA). She went
to Mangolia in July 1999 under cultural exchange
programme (Indian Delegate International Children's
Centre), sponsoredby the  HRD
Ministry of India and organised by National Bal
Bhavan, Delhi. . Upasana was the youngest child and
the only one from Andhra Pradesh in the group of 8 children
who visited Mangolia. For this, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
N. Chandrababu Naidu gave her a title 'Pride of Andhra
Pradesh'. She was given the National Child Award
for 1999 by the Department of Women & Child Department,
Government of India and in that capacity she was also
invited to attend the official programm arranged by the
government of Andhra Pradesh to felicitate Bill Cliton.
Upasana also acted important roles in a couple of Telugu
films and earned fame for being a good child actress.
One can remember her roles in the film 'Maavidakulu',
as the daughter of hero Jagapathi babu and
in the film 'Snehithulu' as the sister of heroine
Raasi. Right now she has one more film in her hand.
 "I
don't want to become a film actress. I just want to be
a professional dancer and a cardiologist. My parents also
wish the same," mouthed little Upasana in
all seriousness. She is good at her studies and is one
amongst the best students of the St. Anns High School,
Tarnaka, Hyderabad. Even in 5th standard, Upasana had
a wide knowledge. She use to freelance for the local daily
newspaper Deccan Chronicle for the column Sweet
Memories.. Upasana also likes to Swim, Scate and do
Yoga.
But above all she wants to be a dancer and a cardiologist.A
gifted child, a dancer, an actress. |
2:08:43 PM 
