You've Come A Long Way, Baby!
nextDance prodigy and now the young hero of TV, with Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap', Faisal Khan beguiles you with a sweet combination of child-like innocence and wise wit, says Bindi Shah.
"Mera sapna pura ho gaya!" said this now 15-year-old dance sensation, as he held the winning trophy on popular television dance show Dance India Dance Lil Masters 2' in 2012. Even as he harboured dreams of going on to become a dance choreographer and making Hrithik Roshan dance to his steps, fate had better ideas for him. Within a few months he was called in to audition for the role of young Pratap for Sony Entertainment Television's Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap'. Notwithstanding the fact that he had never trained for acting, let aside diction and other such frills, he bagged the role. Now a few months down the line, it remains one of the most popular shows, as this young boy wows the audiences with his innocence in acting even as he portrays someone who is considered the epitome of bravery and courage in Indian history.
Ten hour-long shooting schedules, the simmering heat where the sets have been built, being decked out in two layers of clothing and heavy jewellery that make up the costume, add to it an under-shirt to make sure the costumes don't prick... it all seems quite a task to begin with. But nothing seems to faze this young actor, who keeps going as if he is at a ride park. And if the cast members of the show are to be believed, Faisal is the one who actually inspires them with his enthusiasm, energy and happy-go-lucky attitude.
"All the while that I was attending dance classes, it was just that - dance. I always wanted to be on television and DID' gave me that chance. During the show, whenever we were staging a concept dance and there were dialogues to be said, I realised that I also liked the acting bit. But I didn't believe that I could actually face a camera and deliver dialogues all day long, be a full-fledged actor myself.
"When I started with ... Maharana Pratap', everything seemed difficult... the acting bit was definitely new, the dialogues are so different; it's not the Hindi we speak in Mumbai - the words, pronunciation, all seemed odd at times, because we are using Sanskrit-based Hindi."
So before he could take the plunge, he had to work on those tricky bits. Given the shy person he is, performing itself was tricky. Even if he excels at his dancing, talking to the camera and other actors was something that he could not figure out. "I love my dialogues and the way they sound, but I get stuck with the heavy-duty ones. I was wondering how I would go about it, but the director supported me. He advised me to rehearse at least 10 times and then give a good take, so back home I would rehearse my lines in front of a mirror." In fact his home and that mirror also doubled up as acting school for this boy, who has received no formal training in acting.
To make sure he fit the shoes of a warrior-in-the-making, there were other aspects he had to learn too. "I attended an 8-day workshop in swordsmanship so that I could look convincing on screen. I learnt to speak better Hindi. And the best thing I learnt was horse-riding; I love it and it is my favourite pastime between shots." Incidentally, in his spare time on location, he also keeps up-to-date with his studies, makes time to cycle, play with the other youngsters on the sets, show-off his dancing skills at every opportunity available and keep every available crew member busy with his endless pit of curiosity-filled questions and tricky pahelis.
Interestingly, Faisal, who is a ninth grade student at Meeran Academy in Mumbai, has not lost focus of his studies, despite the numerous other tutorings he has been undertaking in the past year. "When I started shooting, the holidays were on. After that my school granted me a two-month leave so that I could continue with the show. The school and my Principal have been very supportive, even when I was on DID', and I don't want to let either of them down, nor myself.
"DID' went on for a few months, and I was on and off school, but I kept studying all along. Most of the time my mother takes up my studies. Since ... Maharana Pratap' I also have a private tutor who ensures that I can keep up with the class-work that I miss. But I still need to do a lot on my own on shooting locations too."
The eldest sibling, with three younger sisters, parents and grand-parents - a houseful of people and he has to stay away from them for long periods of time. Surely, he must miss it all. "I do miss them; my dad comes and lives with me as much as possible. Also I try and go home for short breaks. But I dream to be big, I know I want to achieve something, I want to make a mark, I want to take my family places..." he trails off like that explains everything. Children, despite themselves, understand much more than we grown-ups give them credit for.
Yet they are children. They have a childhood to live and enjoy, and the growing up should not come at the cost of their innocence or memories of a carefree childhood. As much as he may enjoy the dancing and acting, it is different when you do it as a professional commitment. Faisal disagrees with me, "I don't think I am missing out on anything. It's my responsibility to not neglect my studies. At the same time, I am doing something that I enjoy. I do masti on the sets and have a group of other young cast members who are my friends.
"Besides memories can be ones that you make for yourself too. I am sure when I am grown up, I will have lots of stuff to remember from my working days, and good stuff too."
Faisal, nails the rags to riches clich (a story that can get him huge sympathy and popularity, but one he refuses to elaborate upon) - the son of a rickshaw-driver who is now a mini-idol of the small screen. In less than a year he achieved popularity, first with the dance contest, and then mini-stardom as the young warrior. Still, his genuineness shines through his words as he speaks of living with this new-found fame.
My friends (he refuses to use the word fans') have enjoyed my dance, now they are appreciating my acting too. I feel happy when people want to get pictures clicked with me. The rest is all the same -we still live in the same house, my father still drives an auto-rickshaw...Although my parents did get me an Ipad and a cycle from the prize money." Ask him about handling his income and he promptly replies, "The money goes to my parents and they will decide how to invest it."
It all seems too much for a child; learning the trade, not losing focus of the formal education and keeping up with the enormous popularity and fan following. In the midst of this all, I wonder if his first passion - dance - will manage to hold fort. "Dance will always remain my first love. I could act because I am a dancer, and I will never give that up. I know right now I am unable to make as much time for dance as I would have liked. But I still manage to rehearse for a few hours every day," he says proudly. Recently, he performed a classical dance sequence on the show under the tutelage of 73-year-old veteran choreographer Madhav Kishenji.
Then he goes on to amaze me with his dedication and sensibility as he adds, "This is the first step; I still have a long way to go, many new things to learn and juggle. And I am sure I will do that!" Interestingly, of all the new things that he will "learn and juggle", at the top on his list are "Matching Hrithik Roshan's personality, Shah Rukh Khan's acting and Salman Khan's style, and still continue to be the person I am."
Now that seems like a tough nut to crack, but going by his honest enthusiasm and drive, we are sure he will get there
LINK -http://cineblitz.liveinstyle.com/features/detail/youve-come-a-long-way-baby
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