Mansiya V. P.

Mansiya V. P. (born 1995;) is an Indian dancer who specialises in the Bharatanatyam form of Indian classical dance. She has pursued her career in dancing, despite facing social ostracism by orthodox among Muslims on account of her dancing while being a non-Hindu. She has also faced exclusion from some Hindu temples.

In December 2022, Mansiya was elected as one of the 26 members of the council of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.

Early life and education Mansiya was born in 1995 in Velluvampuram, Malappuram, to Syed Alavikutty and Amina V. P. She has an elder sister, Rubiya, who is also a dancer. During her childhood, Mansiya's father worked abroad in Saudi Arabia, but he supported his wife's interest in having his daughters study traditional dance. Alavikutty was not religious, though his wife was Muslim. Rubiya went on to earn a post graduate degree from Annamalai University of Chidambaram and became a dance teacher.

Dance

Despite difficult circumstances and acute social ostracism due to prevailing religious conservatism, both daughters were enrolled in Indian classical dance classes since age of three and encouraged to pursue and continue their dance career along with regular education.

Social ostracism According to a report by Haritha John in The News Minute, the family was ostracized from the local community due to Islam being against public appearances by post puberty women. Stage performances are a taboo subject among conservative Kerala Muslim community and even the application of makeup for a dance performance is frowned upon. Sukumaran's family's church shuns her for being a dancer.