RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP
Kindergarten student Ayusha Patnaik, aka Shagun, has earned accolades not only for her mesmerising stage shows but also her enthralling performance in the reality show ‘Raja Queen’
It’s amazing how smart kids are these days. Call it generation gap or gene mutation, their genius works in our favour as much as it does in theirs. Because they are so brilliant, it’s hard not to bask in their success and feel proud of their efforts. Ayusha Patnaik, aka Shagun, is one such child prodigy who has proved that age is just a number. All it takes is a dream and the force of determination to make that ambition fly. At the age of five, she has become a known face in stage shows. She has won accolades in fairs like Khurda Mahotsav, Barunei Mahotsav and district-level dancing, fancy dress and singing competitions. She shot to fame after participating in the reality show ‘Raja Queen’. Orissa POST chats with the little wonder about her aims and inspiration.
It deserves mention that Ayusha got eliminated from ‘Raja Queen’s’ semi-final round. But the judges wanted her to stay in the entire show as a special contestant. “Mihir sir, a veteran actor in Oriya filmdom, was shocked when her name was announced for elimination. He said the show would lose its sheen if Gudlu (the judges used to call her that) would quit the programme. Thus, all the judges, Sambit, Sambhabana, Deepak, Akash and Anubha, decided to keep her in the entire show as a special contestant. In the final round, she was felicitated with the special contestant award”, said Ayusha’s mother Rashmi Mohanty, a doctor.
Daughter of Rashmi and businessman Abhijeet Patnaik, Ayusha was three years old when she made an appearance in a stage show for the first time. “She took part in a stage show when she was just three years old. She just wowed the audience with her performance. Even as a child, Ayusha wanted to be a perfect dancer. I used to play music to stop her crying when she was three months old,” said Rashmi, adding that Ayusha is a born artiste.
The KG student of DAV Public School, Khurda, is on cloud nine with offers from the Oriya television industry pouring in for the little kid. Her mother said: “After she made a mark in the reality show ‘Raja Queen’ aired on Sarthak channel, many directors wanted to cast her in daily soaps. I said ‘no’ to all those offers since I wanted her to focus on studies.”
Narrating a memorable moment, Ayusha said: “In the final round, every judge, including Mihir sir, gave me a standing ovation and saluted me. That was really a moment which I will cherish forever.”
“Being a mother, what I feel is that though every child is smart and has a special talent of his/her own. Some are blessed beyond imagination. Shagun falls in such a category. Apart from extracurricular activities, she is damn good in studies. She is the recipient of the Miss DAV award. Besides, she got the rising star award at Barunei Mahotsav. Recently, she bagged the first prize for enacting the role of Bhagat Singh in a fancy dress competition,” Rashmi said.
Recounting a happy moment, Rashmi said: “When her name was announced in the elimination round, she started crying. When the judges asked her why she was crying, Ayusha said, ‘My mama spent sleepless nights to prepare me for the show and I did not live up to her expectation. I really feel proud of her and feel sorry for her’.”
Shagun owes her success to her mother who feels that as parents “we have a great responsibility of recognising the little spark in our kids and channelising their creatively productively.”
SNEAK PEEK AT SHAGUN
Favourite place: Mumbai
Favourite food: Chicken biriyani cooked by mama
Inspiration: Mama
Best friend: Grandpa
Hobbies: Dancing, singing, painting, acting
Aim: To be a doctor and actress
