From dancing at home to dancing for social media, Ritesh Hindocha is making everyone smile one video at a time.
Remember when Gandalf said, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."? Well, the lockdown was a period when we had a lot of time on our hands. While some of us continued to work from home, others didn't have it easy. But instead of being cynical about it, some decided to look at it positively. Social media became a place where many decided to try their hand at content creation and received immense love from the people. 38-year-old Ritesh Hindocha with Down Syndrome is one such lockdown star who has become a reason to smile for thousands online.
The youngest among his siblings, Ritesh has 3 sisters who looked after him growing up. He belongs to a sweet Gujarati family and he's India's first influencer with Down Syndrome. He's worked through many odds in his life. He was diagnosed with Down Syndrome when he was in the 3rd grade. Dhruv, Ritesh's nephew says, “He was in a regular school before that. One day the principal called and that’s how my grandparents found out about it. Since then, they've been very supportive, and Lalu Mama was and is still the most beloved among all his siblings.”
He never lets people push him around and he spreads positivity and smiles wherever he goes. Ritesh became a popular face on social media after one of his dancing videos went viral. And since then, he's flooded with positive and loving messages from people and influencers alike. His nephew, Druv says, "My nana (Ritesh’s father) saw him dancing in front of the TV, and sent me his video." Although they knew he loved dancing, the video encouraged him to make his Instagram account.
“When people recognize him, he feels the happiest. When he goes down, everyone tells him that they watch his videos, and how amazing he is to which he ends up blushing. We recently went for the vaccination and even the doctors recognized him. He even took a selfie and appreciated his content," says Dhruv.
Over the last year, he's made quite a buzz online and was also featured in one of the magazines. Now an influencer himself, Ritesh dreams to take his entire family on a trip to Dubai one day.
What did you think of Ritesh's videos? Tell us in the comments below.
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