Kathmandu, March 16 -- Born and raised in the heart of Patan, Subima Shrestha didn't know anything about Indian classical dance forms in her youth. But her passion led her to train as a Kathak dancer at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi for eight years. The eldest of four sisters, Shrestha says that encouragement from her family was important for her to follow her footsteps-quite literally as she is widely known for the intricate footwork of her Kathak performances. The Post's Asmita Manandhar spoke to Shrestha at her studio. Excerpts:

How did you start your journey to professional Kathak?

While growing up, I had no clue about Indian classical dance. The very few images that were formed in my mind as a kid were of Bollywood...