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Privacy NoticeGlasgow-raised Strictly sensation Dr Punam Krishan has always been keen to make her parents proud, as they worried about her growing up in a “wildly different culture” The bubbly TV medic is sparkling on the dance floor of Strictly Come Dancing, sharing her passion for the iconic show and her love of dance that’s coming alive week by week. It was a groundbreaking moment when Punam, with dance partner Gorka Marquez, presented the first ever traditional Bollywood performance on the BBC hit series. The dynamic duo took to the stage for Movie Week, swaying to the beats of Bole Chudiyan from the legendary film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in a mesmerising Couple’s Choice routine.
Punam ensured she wouldn’t let her parents down
(Image: UGC)
Brimming with emotion post-show, Punam confided in host Claudia Winkleman that growing up, she would have cherished seeing such representation: “I feel like I would have loved to have seen something like this when I was growing up. And I guess you just can’t be what you can’t see.” Later, she shared the touching detail of how immensely proud her family was, revealing that her father couldn’t hold back tears after experiencing the profound dance, reports the Mirror. Punam, who was born in Glasgow after her parents relocated from Punjab, India, in the seventies, is the eldest of two daughters, and has opened up about her family’s early nerves on raising children in an unfamiliar culture whilst maintaining their Indian roots. Chatting with The Herald, she revealed: “They would often worry about my sister and I losing the connection to our Indian heritage as we grew up in Glasgow in a wildly different culture. Those trips would help ground me and I’d always come back home with a renewed perspective on life.” Punam expressed how crucial education was according to her upbringing: “It was ingrained in us that education was the key to freedom. You were either going to be a doctor, lawyer, accountant or a failure,” she shared. Yet, her parents had no cause for concern; Punam followed through with her learning commitment and secured her medical degree from Glasgow University.
Punam and Gorka continue to impress the judges and public
(Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Today Punam, who is married to Scottish Conservative health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, juggles her role as a GP on weekday mornings with her media roles, featuring prominently on BBC’s Morning Live. She certainly proved to her parents that she’s still in tune with her heritage, wowing everyone with her Strictly Bollywood number. Chatting with Fleur East on It Takes Two, she shared: “It was such a 360 moment for my mum. Growing up, one of her biggest concerns was what if me and my sister weren’t connected to our culture and the response has been phenomenal.” She continued: “There have been people across the country who have never heard of Bollywood that were watching and connected with the music, which is more than I could have ever asked for. It has been reported in all of Indian press so for my mum she was like, ‘My girl’s made it’ so for her it was just really emotional, my dad was crying, my granny in India watched it on the television there. It’s been huge for my family. It really was a special moment.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnClaudia WinklemanGorka MarquezStrictly Come DancingPunam Krishan
