Husein - The New Hearthrob!
"I Liked Tina Amongst All The Women I Knew"
Husein Kuwajerwala is on cloud 9. Post Nach Balie 2, the applause still hasn't stopped ringing in his ears. Husein, along with wife Tina, have pretty much become the new darlings of a nation hooked on to the celebrity dance show, in its second season as well.
Husein is especially grateful to the show for helping him discover another side to his wife. How else would he have known that he's not the only performer in the family! Nach..has proven that wife Tina is mean competition too. "Winning Nach.. was great, but I think its an even bigger achievement for me and my wife, because I never knew that Tina could perform so well," says Husein, ever the proud husband. "We've learnt so much about each other; I never imagined her dancing so well. Everybody dances in the disco but performing on stage is very different. I've danced a lot in college, and Tina and I were together even then, but she never showed that kind of inclination ever." Just goes to show how marriages are full of surprises!
Tina always maintained that she liked dancing but didn't prefer dancing on stage. "She felt conscious performing in front of people," explains Husein. "And she is a conscious girl. Even if you tell her to walk on the road alone, she can't do it. That's why I think coming from there till here for her, is a significant step. It's like sometimes you really don't expect much from a person, and then the person does more than that. What can I say, it's astonishing!"
Today, everyone knows Tina-Husein as the winners of Nach Baliye2. There are innumerable stage shows, umpteen special appearances and parties to be part of. Did he ever think it would turn out so big for them? "Well, looking at the reactions that the winners of other reality shows like Indian Idol and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge have got, it wasn't really surprising. But I'm the kind of person who doesn't expect much in life. Whatever comes my way, I accept it wholeheartedly. I'm especially enjoying the stage shows; I've always liked doing them. And performing with my wife is an experience by itself."
And how is Tina managing with her fashion-designing career on one side? "As of now, she's on a break," he informs. "Tina's a person who requires a huge break now and then. And I think in the four months she's worked for Nach..she's worked the hardest in her life. She does plan to get back to her work very soon, but she needs to find time from all these shows we're doing."
Would he recommend a dose of Nach..for every television couple? "I think any couple who does not get an opportunity to do a show like Nach.., should definitely learn dancing. You get to know each other better, at the same time you have a good time and explore your abilities. Like Tina never knew she could dance so well. I think the layman can relate to her because she was just like any other regular person in Nach.. This show turned out to be the perfect break in our otherwise monotonous lifestyle."
Nach.. definitely broke the monotony, but it also sprung a few surprises this year by introducing certain highly debatable rules, like voting out your fellow contestants. What did he think of them? "Initially, I didn't think it was fair. But it was part of the game, and you have to follow the rules of the game. You can't help it. I was happy though that both Tina and I were fair in whatever decision we took."
There was also some talk that both Tina and he were being aggressively promoted because Husein is an actor working for Star Plus, which makes him Star property. Did that take anything away from their victory? "Maybe you're right," says Husein unexpectedly. "No doubt you could be true. I'm not saying no to that insinuation. I'm not going to run away from the fact that a lot of people were talking about that. But I think at the end, if Tina and I have won Nach.., it was because our performances were really decent. Not that the others didn't, but I think we accelerated at the right time. Otherwise, I would be cornered if we hadn't given performances of that calibre and still won. Somewhere down the line, people did realize that our performances were really good. If you had to choose ultimately, it wasn't difficult to pick. I think our margin of votes (four lakhs) says it all. Today, I don't need to put my head down when a person asks me about winning Nach.. I can look the person in the eye and say yes, we won!"
Their constant support for each other must be credited for their win. Husein completely agrees with that. "Its called Nach Baliye; you've got to support each other. Tina supported me by putting in her 100 per cent for something she hadn't attempted before. I, on the other hand, was terribly exhausted shooting round the clock, and then rehearsing too. I started losing weight; my body was slowly showing signs of fatigue. It was Tina who motivated me. In fact, three people are responsible for this win. Our choreographers, Harshal and Vitthal, who came up with amazing concepts; the audience, whose support never flagged and ofcourse, Tina, who was like the surprise package. People didn't expect her to do well and yet, she did so well."
Working together as a couple and being successful at it, is a result of a lot of patience and understanding. Husein and Tina have known each other for ten years now (nine years of courtship and one year of marriage), it's no wonder that their tuning is just about perfect. In such a long time of being together, why was Tina always the secret girlfriend? "We couldn't really come out in the open about our relationship, because we had a few issues as far as our parents were concerned. We didn't think they would be too happy with our decision. We wanted to give it time. And till we reached the decision of marriage, we kept it to ourselves. We always knew in our minds that we wanted to be together; it's just that the right time hadn't come."
So nobody knew of them being together in those nine years? "It wasn't like that. All our friends and cousins knew about it since day one. We just kept it a little toned down on the parents' front. Even then, the parents' knew we liked each other. I always admitted that I liked Tina amongst all the women I knew, and amongst all the men she knew, she liked me. But we kept the love thing at bay initially. We didn't want to go through those grilling sessions. We thought they wouldn't agree because of the religion factor (Tina is a Hindu), but eventually there was no problem on that front."
What happened when they finally did tell-all? "Both the parties sort of knew that at some point in life, we'd open up about our relationship," he states. "They never minded; that's why we were never stopped. Tina's parents could have stopped her if they really wanted to, but they didn't. And the main reason was the Hindu-Muslim bar."
Why does he think they never stopped her? "Well, they knew me just as long as Tina did. While in college, all us friends would often go to her house and chill out there. So that rapport was there already. They have seen my progress from a boy to a man, from my bike days to my first car, to my second car, to my buying a house. They've seen the entire growth from Kurla to Lokhandwala. They've seen my career progress. They knew what I was and they still know what I am. They were absolutely sure where their daughter was going, and realized she would be happy there."
The indecisiveness explains why Husein never came out in the media about Tina in all those years of being grilled about link-ups and relationships. "I had no choice," he says evenly. "Once it would come out in the media, we would again become answerable to our parents. We didn't want that. We didn't want people simply pointing fingers and asking intrusive questions about our personal life. Especially because my father is not there; so all the fingers are pointed at my mother. It's not like we got married in a rush. We took about three months to plan it all. The thing was, we expected a few volcanoes to erupt, but it was just the opposite."
Have they thought about starting a family soon? "Oh please, there's still some time for that," he interrupts. "We've just been married for a year; we've not even thought about it. We've known each other for a long time, but as far as kids are concerned, we still have a long time to go."
That sounds exactly like the fate of Kumkum, his show, which seems like it has a very very long time to go. "Well, the show is running, the story is going on." He then goes on to state, "There are ups and downs in every show, so why single out Kumkum? They had thought of bumping off my character at one point, but they dropped the idea. I have no intention of leaving the show. I will definitely continue."
Continuing with the show is one thing and being happy with the way your character is shaping up is another. "I really can't do much," he says ineffectually. "Nobody is happy being part of a generation leap, but that's the way it is. You've got to find your way in other things. That's why I'm glad I get to do shows like Nach.. and Shabaash India, which keep me motivated. And most importantly, when you agree to do something, you better be happy about it. Nobody has put a gun on my head and said you've got to do it. It's finally my choice. It's not like life ends here; I've got a lot of time to do better stuff. But Kumkum is a stable show, and I have the confidence in myself to do well in it."
What about Shabaash India? No complaints on that front, right? "I'm very happy doing it. I think it's a lovely show. People should watch it and realize the greatness of the people in our country." And now ofcourse, there's Indian Idol 3 to conquer. "Oh yes, that's a show I'm excited about. I love interacting with people. And since I've just completed the entire journey of being in a reality show, I think I'll understand the mindset of the participants much better."
An interesting fact is that Husein takes the place of Aman Verma yet again. First it was Khulja Sim Sim and now its Indian Idol 3. "I'm only going to concentrate on myself and my presentation. I've studied the format of the show and want to bring something different to it. Also, Aman and I are different personalities, so our style will obviously vary. I'm looking forward to anchoring, I love the entire feeling of being on my toes, thinking on the spur of the moment."
He makes it a point to add, "With Indian Idol 3, I'm now a part of all three big channels, Shabaash..for Zee, Kumkum for Star Plus and now ofcourse, Sony."
With so much happening, at what point would he consider giving the big screen a shot? "At no point actually," is his unexpected reply. Why not? "I'm doing really well in television; good things have always happened for me here. From Kisme Kitna Hai Dum to Kuch Kar Dikhana Hai to Khulja Sim Sim to Shabaash India, I've seen a growth in my career. Every year, somehow or the other, something good happens and takes care of everything. I haven't really thought about films. Because I don't have a goal as such, I live life as it comes. So far it's been blissful, so why change things?"
That makes sense, but what if tomorrow Tina wants to be a part of the television industry. Would he be cool with her decision? "It's absolutely her choice," he declares supportively. "Television demands a lot of time, energy and focus. If she's game for it, why not? And frankly, if you really like something, you will work for it. Like I was never a morning person, but my profession demands early mornings often. So I wake up early now, and don't even complain about it. Basically, if you really like doing something, you can give up on a lot of your indulgences for it. Probably if Tina really likes the field, she may be ready to give up on her sleep and breaks. But from what I know of her, its a little difficult proposition, because television is too demanding. And your family life definitely goes for a toss. I don't want to have a say in her decision; all I can do is tell her the pros and cons of working in television."
It's obvious that Nach.. is still the centre of Husein-Tina's existence right now. "We're still totally into it," he agrees. "It feels so great when we go to parties, and people praise my wife so much. I feel like a very proud husband. Wherever we go, there are so many well-wishers. Appreciation is always a nice feeling. January has been a really good month, as for the future, I really haven't decided much. But I do want to take some time out for myself; I don't want to slog too much anymore."
Good decision Husein! It's time you sat back and enjoyed your success!
"I Have No Plans To Do Television" - TINA
Now that Tina has proved what she's capable of in Nach.. there are many who feel she has a good chance of making it big in tellydom. But Tina doesn't seem so enthusiastic about the idea, inspite of the fact that she has Husein's full support. "I haven't got any offers yet, though I've been getting calls to get my portfolio clicked. I'm obviously not going to get pictures done, because I don't want those kind of offers. As for saas-bahu soaps, I don't think I'll be able to manage because I don't know acting at all. But, if someone offers Husein and me something good together, and it's as good as Nach..then we'll consider it."
-Sneha Kamat (Showtime Mag)
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