Turning a passion, then a pastime into a career has been key to Aaliyah Chaboo’s success.
When the vibrancy of Bollywood dance erupted on the Durban-born’s family TV screen, Chaboo felt drawn to it like a bee to nectar. It compelled her to explore the powerful theatrics of Bollywood and study the impressive industry and its ways.
The 21-year-old marketing student refused to limit her Bollywood dancing and acting to merely a hobby, transforming her talents into an enterprising business. She leverages the exposure she receives through her creative work in the entertainment industry and has successfully managed to monetise her creativity online.
Business savvy, Chaboo became an entrepreneur at 20, motivating many young people to adopt a positive mindset about the future.
The winner of the ZeeTV Miss India SA-Sparkling Eyes Title 2018 had absolutely no prior experience in Bollywood dancing, yet she allowed her passion to shape her course. Over the years she used her impressive social media platforms to share her inspiring journey with young hopefuls.
An only child, the dancer admitted that her source of inspiration had been role model Rosina Mamokgethi Phakeng, a South African mathematician and researcher who is currently Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cape Town.
Chaboo is adamant that if there are no jobs, there is simply an opportunity to create jobs.
She is often recognised as the actress who played Mikayla in the local Indian comedy franchise, “Broken Promises”. Her Broken Promises 4 character is a quiet and innocent girl who dated on the sly unbeknownst to her clueless dad.
Director, Kumaran Naidu, contacted her in 2016 to feature her in one of his movies after he viewed a video she had uploaded on social media. “He was a director I had looked up to and I enjoyed his films, so I never thought twice about his request despite not having prior acting experience,” she said in a Post interview.
The Priyanka Chopra fan said working on set had allowed her the opportunity to network. Chaboo also features in the web series Ups & Downs, directed by Naidu.
The young trailblazer would like to inspire more young people to get involved in community upliftment. Chaboo also encourages youth to monetise their talent online and to invest in their passion.
