Dance Like a Man (2004, India)

Dance Like A Man is based on the Mahesh Dattani play by the same name. Arif Zakaria essays the role of a Bharat Natyam dancer, whose wife is also an exponent in the same dance form. The film brings to the fore the egos, jealousies and creative differences between a couple who pursue the same art form. It also explores the great gender divide in professions.

This is not the first time Arif has taken a role that belongs to the gender-bender genre: earlier, Arif had played the role of a eunuch in Darmiyaan.

Arif says: When you dance, you are more attuned to a woman's female form. Whether it is Michael Jackson, Govinda and to a certain extent Hrithik too. Bharat Natyam is primarily perceived as a female art form. So you can't compare it to Hindi film dancing. A lot of male gurus teach Bharat Natyam and many men are exponents of Bharat Natyam. But they have certain definite feminine mannerisms.

While learning Bharat Natyam, I began to appreciate the way women contort their bodies while dancing. It is an art that requires a lot of finesse. There are some great male dancers but I wouldn't put them on par with women dancers in all their splendour.

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