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When we went to meet Dharmesh for an interview he looked like as if someone just showed him an evil spirit. It took us a lot of goading and coaxing to bring him at ease as he was fumbling in the beginning when he was asked his first question.
Interviews scare the hell out of him which was apparent from his demeanor. Beside, he is very humble, soft-spoken and a simple guy. He was a bit reluctant to pose for the camera as he felt that his outfit was unsuitable, his hair tousled, and no make-up on. But again we managed to convince him that he is looking presentable and that his fans will still continue to love him. Personally I felt very comfortable taking his interview and I would like to wish him all the best for DID little masters. May his kids bring him the trophy which he couldnt attain earlier.
Q: How was your Dance India Dance experience?
Dharmesh: It was a wonderful experience. I had never thought it would be so good. I had learnt very few dance styles before but I got the opportunity to learn so many different styles of dancing. I performed Thayyam – the weight of the costume itself was 50 kgs. I also performed aerial cube act with Kishore and Binny, which was very very difficult..if not done correctly one can lose his life. We were at a height of almost 20 ft..Mr. Amitabh Bachchan was the guest for that episode.. I performed styles which I had never seen, I had never thought of.. When I was chosen in DID, that is when I came to know how rehearsals actually take place. Another thing that I experienced on this show was the happiness on meeting the big film stars.. I always used to wonder when I will see these stars, but DID made this possible for me. We not only saw these stars, but we actually got an opportunity to interact with them. Thinking about meeting Bachchanji was only a dream, I had never thought I would be able to meet him personally, but this show made that dream come true for me.. All the stars encouraged us to perform well and they did this personally with each one of us. That was overwhelming for me. Also there was a time when we had only seen Geeta Ma, Remo Sir and Terence Sir on television, but we not only got an opportunity to learn from these people, but also train under them. Today they know us personally and call us up for shows, assistance, etc. So this is an experience of a lifetime for me which I will always cherish.
Q: Tell us about your DID Little Masters team.
Dharmesh: When I was told that I have been made as the skipper for the DID Little Masters, I was shocked. I was hoping that after DID ends I will sleep for a week as all of us were dog tired and our muscles were screaming with pain and torture. I was taken by surprise to learn that my DID journey has not ended and it took a while for the news to sink in. I mean I had mixed feelings because after being a contestant, immediately I am the choreographer of the same show. Initially I was unsure, but then I thought that the channel has trusted me, liked my work and they think that I can do a fair job and have given me such a big responsibility. Whether I win or lose, this opportunity is fantastic and I want to make the most of it. After losing out on the Takdeer ki Topi, this was a golden opportunity for me. Today we have been put in place of Remo Sir, Geeta Ma and Terence Sir. What else could I ask for at such an early stage. I was tensed about how the kids would be, whom I will have to train, will they do a good job, will I come to a choreographic block, but all the kids in my team are very talented, focused and very hard working. It was so overwhelming for me to know that they wanted to be a part of my team. It was not just the kids but their parents also who wanted their kids to be in my team and they were very happy. After seeing these kids, the only thought that came to my mind was tat if these kids were also participants in the DID 2 season along with us, definitely one of these kids would have won the show. The good thing about these kids is that they are already training in dance. They are very very naughty but lovely. We have been give rules and regulations regarding the timings of the rehearsals, rest time, food time, etc…but the kids just don't want to rest, they want to rehearse. They are very enthusiastic. All my kids – Vaishnavi, Jitumoni, Ruturaj, Khyati and Janan (standby) are very good. They are like my mutthi (fist)– a punch and a solid one.
Q: Who is your favorite dancer and why?
Dharmesh: My favorite dancer: on first position would be my guru Krishna Rao because he has helped me a lot. When I first joined his class I didn't have enough money to pay his fees. I didn't have money to spend on the costumes during the shows, travelling, etc. So he started teaching me for free when he saw my dedication and dance. In fact after 6 – 7 months, he offered me to work in his dance academy itself. He started sending me to train people in dance. I am highly inspired by his style of dancing. The second name that I would like to mention is Prabhu Deva. I relate a lot with his style.
Q: Which is your favorite dance style?
Dharmesh: My favorite dance style is the D style – which is my own dancing style. But I like semi classical style of dancing and popping also.
(We asked Dharmesh to elaborate on this D-style and he said that his style is inspired from many other styles and eventually he has made that into a D-style which he is promoting and teaching others)
Q: If you were not a dancer then what would you be?
Dharmesh: If I would not have been a dancer, then I would have been a very good cricketer because I play very well. As a child I always had an interest in these 2 fields. I am a very good batsman. My Favorite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar. He is the God of cricket. I have always followed him. I observed his style of batting and always tried to put it in my game as well although I am not formally trained in cricket.
Q: Do you think that the DID 2 final judgment was fair?
Dharmesh: According to me the judgment was fair, because all four of deserved to win. I accept the audience decision. All the four finalists were very happy that we reached the finals after receiving so many votes. Even for the finale there was a huge crowd of people who had come to see us perform. This itself was a proof that the audience loved us so much and I am sure they still do.
Q: Message to your fans.
Dharmesh: I am here because of my fans and for them. I have reached this stage today only because of their love and support. Today I am a mentor for kids on DID Little Masters because of my fans who have liked my style and appreciated my dance. Otherwise I was no where and no one. So I would sincerely like to thank my fans. I would also like to say that whatever activity be it dance or any other activity you are interested in, work hard and follow your dream. If I get an opportunity to vote for my fans, I will surely do that for them. Whatever I am today is all because of my fans, so I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I was eliminated, but audience brought me back in the show through wild card entry. I had even heard that people were angry when I was eliminated. They had stopped watching the show after my elimination. So this was very touching. Thank you Janta (audience) for your support and I will continue to dedicate all my dances to you.
Jhanak
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