If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. But if you want to be even happier, raise your hands up in the air and do the bhangra! This traditional dance from Punjab has evolved over the years, and has entered pop culture by incorporating elements of hip-hop, reggae and now even EDM. In fact, it is a big part of Bollywood music and dance too. And taking it further, US-based Sarina Jain invented the Masala Bhangra workout by launching a series of DVDs in 1999, which is a combination of her Indian culture and heritage, and fitness.
This dance-based workout is practised to the beats of dhol drums inspired by popular Bollywood tunes. While participants are required to follow the steps demonstrated by the instructor, the most important thing here is to let your hair down and have fun. Telling us more about this workout, Pune-based Masala Bhangra certified trainer Nitya Lakhiani says, “The great thing about this workout is that everyone can do it. There is no age bar. It’s obviously a little heavier than aerobics and Zumba, but after a couple of classes, you get used to the intensity.”
She adds that Masala Bhangra can help you shed the extra kilos in much more fun and faster way as it makes for an entire body cardio workout.
Apart from it being more intense, how is this different from Zumba and other dance-based exercises? “Zumba is a Latin-based workout and Masala Bhangra involves purely bhangra moves with Punjabi songs, and we also do a couple of Bollywood numbers. Masala Bhangra is complete body workout in the sense that every muscle is involved in every move, whereas Zumba and aerobics can have few routines that do upper body and lower body differently. This workout also increases your stamina in various ways and makes you more flexible, all while having fun,” says 29-year-old Lakhiani who got her certification two years ago.
The trainers
Masala Bhangra is a big thing in the US, while there are a few trainers in India, as well as other countries. These trainers are called Masala Bhangra ambassadors. To become an ambassador of this workout, you need to first attend a Masala Bhangra class and introduce yourself to the concept. Then you must go through three levels of training to be certified.
Talking about how she was introduced to the concept workout, Lakhiani says, “I got to know about Masala Bhangra back in September 2016 through lot of pop up ads on Facebook. A couple of my friends, who were Zumba instructors, did their certification and used to post videos of their sessions on social media. When I came across these posts, I found the workout to be immensely fun and very different. I was attracted to it because of the purely bhangra moves used in the routine.”
A graduate in BBA Finance from MITSOM College, Kothrud, Lakhiani became serious about dance while she was pursuing her CFA (to become a chartered financial analyst) in 2012.
“I decided to take up dance and started conducting fitness classes. My family has been supportive of my career and are proud of what I have achieved. I am a certified Zumba instructor as well. This apart, I also do wedding choreographies from basic to budget sangeets,” says Lakhiani, who believes that Masala Bhangra sessions are a great way for families to come together, have fun while getting fit before weddings.
She conducts classes at her studio in NIBM and Wow studio in Kothrud, two days a week. “I can honestly tell you that this concept works wonders. The bhangra steps might seem pretty easy to do, but when you do it, you can feel the intensity. It is tiring because you are burning so many calories — more than what you’d burn in any other form of cardio workout,” says Lakhiani, adding, “But the best part is the Hindi/Punjabi songs. These tunes are in the blood of us Indians, and we automatically move to the beat when this music starts playing.”
