Instructor Rohan Sheth, left, works his students hard during a Doonya class. (Michael Graae/For New York Daily News)
Take a little Hindu philosophy, a dose of the American obsession with fitness, and plenty of Bollywood choreography and you’ve got the hottest exercise class in town.
Welcome to Doonya, a fat-burner inspired as much by deep Indian spirituality as it is by the delirious dance numbers being churned out in Mumbai film studios. Doonya classes at various temporary spaces have gotten so popular that founders Priya Pandya and Kajal Desai will open their first freestanding studio next month in the Flatiron district.
“The inspiration really came from my, and the other founders’, Indian roots,” says Pandya, who grew up in Washington, D.C., but whose parents are from India. “We wanted to connect the western outlook on health and fitness and the eastern philosophy on dance and wellness.”
Doonya and classes like it add one more thing Pandya failed to mention: ridiculous, hysterical fun.
Doonya, the Bollywood-inspired exercise class, was created by Priya Pandya (left) and Kajal Desai. (Courtesy of Doonya)
A typical 55-minute class starts with a warmup of all the basic Bollywood moves familiar to anyone who’s seen the over-the-top “item number” during the closing credits of “Slumdog Millionaire.”
After everyone masters the basics, the moves are combined into high-speed choreography — with no breaks.
“Each routine has a specific goal in terms of body part,” says Pandya, whose program is named for the Hindi word for “world.”
Priya Iyer moves to the music during a Doonya class, a Bollywood-inspired workout routine. (Michael Graae/For New York Daily News)
Popping your hips and shaking your rear end like Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan? You’re actually toning glutes and outer thighs. Twist your mid-section like Deepika Padukone in the belly dance classic “Om Shanti Om”? You’re strengthening your core.
No wonder Miss America, Nina Davuluri, is a fan.
Mastering the moves is fun, but serious work. A Bollywood dance class can burn 500-800 calories — equivalent of a high-intensity SoulCycle class or cardio dance class with Tracy Anderson.
Students stretch during a cool down at the end of a Doonya class. Doonya is a Bollywood workout class at DANY Studios on W. 38th St. in Manhattan on 8/13/2014. Michael Graae/For The NY Daily News (Michael Graae/For New York Daily News)
“You sweat buckets,” says Emilie Littlehales, a 32-year-old Brooklynite who took a Doonya class recently. “I was pretty nervous. … There were some steps that were a little harder, but the environment was so positive that making mistakes was totally acceptable. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying themselves.”
The fact that Doonya could grow from being merely classes at other gyms to opening its own freestanding center reflects not just our ongoing quest for fitness, but the growing interest in Eastern philosophies, Pandya says.
Like yoga, Doonya taps into Hindu beliefs that creative energy flows through us, nourishing the soul.
Dev Patel as Jamal and Freida Pinto as Latika dance during big number over closing credits in “Slumdog Millionaire.” (AP)
“It’s very holistic,” says Pandya. “Eastern religion is about the way of life. So it’s combining the way that one celebrates, the way one eats, the way one moves. It’s all part of the culture.”
The new Doonya studio adds one more thing: the Bollywood dance craze.
“This could be your trade-off if you don’t like going to the gym,” says Pandya. “You get everything you need. The environment is open and warm and vibrant.”
Doonya, 1158 Broadway at 27th St., opens on Sept. 8. Classes are $18. For info, visit doonya.com.
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