HYDERABAD: Fifteen-year-old Laxmi Priya Pendyala is all excited as she counts the days until January 22, when she will receive the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar from President Droupadi Murmu.
The 10th-grade student, who is a Kuchipudi dancer from Kazipet, is being awarded for excellence in the field of art and culture.
“The news has not sunk in yet. I feel extremely honoured. I did not know that a dancer could get such a huge award,” Laxmi Priya tells TNIE.
The Bal Puraskar is a government initiative to recognise the exceptional achievements of children aged between five and 18. Of the 19 children selected for the award this year, Laxmi Priya is the only one from Telangana.
With no family background in arts, the young dancer says: “My mother and grandmother wanted to learn dance but couldn’t. So when I said I wanted to learn, they were very supportive.”
In the seven years of her dance journey, she has performed in over 200 programmes, festivals and competitions. Last year, she won the national Kala Utsav competition, received an award and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “As per the schedule, I’ll get to meet the prime minister this time too,” she says. The 19 children will also be part of the Republic Day parade on January 26.
Laxmi Priya says the Covid-induced lockdown was a crucial period in her dance journey.
“I spent a lot of time honing my skills and also learning the history of dance forms and Vedas. This helped me understand my characters better,” she says. She credits her guru, Bompally Sudheer Rao, for her growth.
“During the pandemic, Laxmi Priya spent 2–3 hours every day, working on her footwork and most importantly, her expressions. It takes time to perfect the expressions but she is a quick learner,” says Sudheer Rao. He fondly describes his disciple: “Normally, only young women above 18 can perfectly portray the emotions of Sathyabama but she has been able to do it at this age.”
In fact, Laxmi Priya says Sathyabama is her favourite character to play. “I like to live in the character,” she says.
A balancing act
In 2019, Laxmi Priya won the first prize in a nationwide competition held by the Montfort CBSE school, where she studies. Recognising her talent, the school has borne the full cost of her education so far.
“I’ve always tried to balance academics and arts, which is why I have brought my school books. The board exams are just around the corner,” she says.
After completing the 10th grade, Laxmi Priya plans to take up MPC and pursue engineering. “She is also looking to follow her grandfather’s footsteps and take up civil services,” her father P Rakesh Kumar says.