“I’m Pound Kakar. I’m a 25 year old pole dance trainer, and the first in Hyderabad. I come from a family of doctors and soldiers, who lay a lot of emphasis on physical and mental health. My twin sister and I spent our first 10 years growing up in Mumbai, where I used to be perpetually sick, due to some illness or the other and also very skinny. Our mother suggested we take up a physical activity everyday after school. Those couple of hours post school were almost like a getaway for me from my academic and personal stresses. I also remember telling my parents that I wanted to be a “circus girl” after growing up, because of how fascinating it was to see them fly.

Growing up, I received a lot of comments about how “skinny” I was and the typical, “don’t you eat anything?” question. I became extra conscious about the way I looked and also stopped playing sports so I don’t lose anymore weight.

In 2018, I was going through a rough patch in my then relationship and finally decided, after many years, to take up a physical activity – and that was when I thought about pole dancing, because it fascinated me to see the level of fitness and strength it required. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything in Hyderabad and looked for pole dance classes in other cities – I took a couple of classes and returned to Hyderabad. I loved every moment I spent on the pole; it felt like I was flying, after years. I felt mentally free and physically stronger. I soon got a pole installed at home as a birthday gift from my father, who got it shipped for me. I had already decided, that I’ll be the one bringing pole dancing to Hyderabad.

However, I couldn’t practice pole dancing for more than a year after that as I was working a job. I remember sitting my parents down and telling them that I wanted to shift cities to pursue pole dancing, alongside my masters; and they said, “why don’t you be a master at pole dancing instead?” I was thrilled, but a week later, the lockdown happened. But that didn’t let me down. I decided to train myself and dedicated 2-3 hours everyday after my shift hours to pole dancing.

I remember getting my first invert – that was the day I felt so grateful for what my body could do for me – skinny or not, it listened to me and helped me grow. That was the day my actual journey began. I quit my job and decided to stick to pole dancing – and here I am now, ready to help other individuals push their limits and let go of their body image issues. A lot of people associate pole dancing due to its unfortunate portrayal in cinema. For me, pole dancing is grace, strength, flexibility, calisthenics, focus, balancing and body positivity. It’s a personal journey of courage and pushing limits. And I don’t see it any other way. You have mentioned that yours is the first studio in Hyderabad. What are your approaches to take it to the semi urban crowd in the city?I’ve introduced this activity to Hyderabad, to help people achieve a sense of freedom and body positivity.

The biggest challenge I faced were the first couple of months – since this art form is relatively new to the dance and fitness industry here in Hyderabad, a lot of people sent in enquiries but didn’t register. I also questioned my efforts and my decision to pursue my passion, however my love for it helped me stick by, and soon enough, I had students trickling in for classes. I opened my studio PolefitBoldfit at Kondapur after such an overwhelming response. Now, my slots are packed, with some brilliant, progressive thinking students, who push their limits in every class, just like I do. We have formed our very own pole dance community and look forward to expand it in the city.”