Mysterious Prof. P

‘Contemporary’, dictionary defines it as modern, synchronous, etc. In the field of Dance the form ‘Contemporary’ resonates rhythm, grandiose and discipline. To me this dance form is a cocktail of a lot of dance styles viz Ballet, Indian Classical Dance forms (Kathak, Bharatanatyam, etc), Jazz and many more. What I like about this dance form is its ability to express emotions in a larger than life pattern and the unique quality of dancing off beat (partially).

Financial Guru (dad) has a knack of eyeing the undervalued stocks. Over the years he has always maintained his ground rule “A fundamentally strong company with a good management team will never FAIL you.” In my opinion this RULE is applicable to all walks of life. So, while covering my piece on contemporary I chose to showcase the journey of “The Mysterious Porf. P”, our very own Punit J Pathak.

I chose the catch phrase ‘Mysterious’ coz not much is known about him apart from his work credits. Ask him about his crazy fan encounter, he blushes and narrates how a fan girl innocently forced him to have a bite from her chocolate (LOL). Known for being the Machine that runs 24 hours (workaholic) in the industry, a humble soul, he naively admits “I am a narcissist when it comes to my Work. I give ‘it’ my everything, that’s how passionate I am about my Work” From Dance India Dance (Season 2) to Dance+ (Season 2) the journey is full of ups and downs, yet a fundamentally strong person with a great vision will indeed Succeed.

Let us unveil the Mystery…

You belong to a business family so how difficult was it to choose dance as a profession?

I am the elder son of the family, my dad naturally wanted me to be a part of the family legacy (Business). In my struggling phase of figuring out what to do in life I was clear about 3 things: I do not want to be a doctor, an engineer and I do not want to be associated with business. So I chose arts in St. Xavier’s college Mumbai. Before being a dancer I wanted to be a cricketer, I was the under 13 team captain for Mumbai team and the St. Xavier’s college team captain.

Hip Hop was my forte and my favourite dance style then. When performing for college events I was selected by Terrence Lewis Company for a scholarship program. I went on to work with his company for a long time. Not many people know, but I used to stammer while talking. With Dance and being a dance instructor I gained confidence and learnt the language of Dance.

Gradually I left Terrence sir’s company and went on to participate in Dance India Dance (DID) Season 2. Fun fact is that DID was not my most epic moment in life. The journey has been gradual and satisfying.

Tell us about your journey post DID…

Not many know that before DID season 2 I had auditioned for Jhalak Dikh Laja as a choreographer but I was rejected. One of the best things that happened to me on DID was that I got to be a part of Remo Sir’s team (Remo ke Rangeele). Post DID I went on to assist Remo Sir for his movie ‘FALTU’. It was there that I learnt Camera work and improved my film making skills. Alongside I continued pursuing dance with Jhalak Dikh Laja (4 Seasons). Later, I got to be mentor/judge on DID season 5 and finally came along Dance+ season 2.

How did Acting happen?

My association with Remo sir has been long standing. When he decided to make a dance movie I was offered the role of Chandu (ABCD first instalment). The only question I had asked him before taking up the project was whether I die before the interval or later. The character went to be a hit and then came ABCD2 where I play Vinod (yet another character with shades of dark). I have a knack of understanding dark and deep elements. Probably why my characters portray the same.

Technical Genius showing his MAGIC

One peculiar quality is your art of beautiful story telling through your performances, what has been your inspiration?

‘I like to be Different’, in a dance reality shows the selected dancers are already evolved as dancers. As a mentor, I then take it up as a challenge as to how can I combine their dancing prowess and my story telling in a 2-3 min performance. It’s my way of connecting with the audience and conveying my message.

What is the next thing on your bucket list (workwise) that you want to conquer?

Direction.

Final Message

3 things in life make a man ‘Talent, Hard work & Luck’. Luck is not in our hands. So along with talent make sure you work (MAD) hard to achieve your dreams.

Mysterious Prof. P (wink)

We will very soon see the Mystery Man in the upcoming movie NAWABZAADE!!!

Fun Fact one of our team members has a crush on him and we just made her day(wink). Courtesy Team Mansissim. Photo credits Ashish Baheti and Jimland Photography.

HALO RE HALO!!!

‘Ghor andhari re rataldi maan nisaraya chaar asavar, Ramjo Ramjo re Amba Maa tame Ramjo saari RAAT!!!’ a famous Gujarati garbo (song) that sums up Navrati for me. Navratri an Indian festival dedicated to the worship of goddess JagdAmba/Durga. Also celebrated as ‘Durga Pujo festival’, my friend ‘the Bangla Babu’, explains the significance: Lord Ram offered Neel Kamal (blue lotus’) to Maa Durga to attain her blessings before going to Lanka to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from the grip of Ravana.

Rajmata (the queen of our hearts: MOM), Navratri being her favourite festival, takes me back to her childhood memories when she would participate in Raas-Garba competitions in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The secret to my Dancing genes is indeed my folk’s crazy passion for Dance Art…

BOLO AMBE MATA KI JAI!!!

Raas-Garba, one of the most celebrated form of Gujarati folk dance, is the true essence of Navratri. Raas also known as Dandiya Raas a synchronised dance form is traditionally performed with wooden sticks, while Garba a form with rigorous swirls and twirls is showcased in large groups matching the steps in motion.

Over the years Bollywood has captured this beautiful folk form with panache. One man ‘Sanjay Leela Bhansali’ has truly played with colours, grandiose and exuberance while showcasing this folk form. The team that has made is possible for him is the duo Samir & Arsh Tanna. Be it ‘Dholi Taro Dhol Baje’ (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) or ‘Nagda Sang Dhol’/ ‘Lahu Muh Lag Gaya’ & ‘Bhai Bhai’ (Ramleela), the duo has left no stone unturned in presenting their devotion and passion for Garba. Their work consists of various Bollywood films viz, Humko tumse pyar hai, Dhanak, Gandhi my father and the list is long….

NAGADA SANG DHOL BHAJE........

The National Award winners for ‘Dholi Taro Dhol Baje’ and the Filmfare award for ‘Lahu Muh Lag Gaya’ got the curious me to cover their journey and unleash ‘the Dance Chemistry’.

My jalebi fafda (wink) time with ‘The Tannas’’

How did the Tanna Jodi meet?

Arsh: I am a trained classical dancer (Kathak). I had joined NM college for my under grad studies and Samir was my senior. Samir would handle the intercollegiate dance festivals. While auditioning for one such event I met Samir for the first time and let’s just say it was the classic college love story. 

Samir: Back then we were auditioning for a folk dance performance and Arsh being a classical dancer had her limitations, but the moment I saw her I wanted her in my dance troupe. That’s how we met and here we are.

ANIRUDH TANNA: DADAJI

Who is your inspiration?

Arsh: My journey with Samir personally and professionally and also my association with his family (Dada bhai- father in-law and my sister-in-law’s who themselves are classical dancers (Bharatanatyam and Manipuri) has somewhere been my major source of inspiration.                                                                                   

Samir: I owe my knowledge and love for dance/dramatics to my father Anirudh Tanna, famously known as ‘Dada bhai’ amongst the Gujarati art circle. He was a true “Showman”, a dramatics and dance teacher to the differently abled (blind, deaf & dumb), he has choreographed numerous dance ballets’ and written various narratives and songs.                                                                                     

Also our guru Indumati Lele (Folk dance teacher) and Hussain Khawra our Dholi is the inspiration for our beats.

DHOLI TARO DHOL BAJE

Tell us more about your journey…

We represented India at the World Folk festival and travelled the world (USA, Russia, London,etc) with our dance troupe in college days. When we came back we started getting choreography offers for inter-collegiate festivals. That’s how our journey as professional choreographers began. Then Sanjay bhai gave us our first Bollywood break with Dholi taro Dhol Baje (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). With our big break we won our first National Award for choreography of Dholi taro.

How is working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali?

Arsh: Sanjay bhai is complete school of cinema in himself. He himself being a classical dancer (Odissi) his knowledge in the field is vast. He’s a true Mr. Perfectionist in the industry, I would always go with 10 different variations of the count and show him but he would always say “yeh acha hai but Arsh kuch aur dikhao”. So he pushes you to the limit and brings out the best in you. And apart from choreography he made me sit through the dance costumes, the look and every minute detailing. In my eyes that’s true passion. 

Samir: The fact that Sanjay bhai wants the best encouraged us to be very innovative. Like we used a dhol (weighed 10-12 kgs) in Dholi Taro and asked the dancer to twirl with it. That was first of its kind in the industry. Also in Ram Leela we created an Opera style authentic garba in the song Lahu Muh Lag Gaya. To our surprise we won the Filmfare for Lahu Muh Lag Gaya.

We always explain it as people who enjoy fast paced rigorous western styles (Hip Hop, whacking) will enjoy Nagada Sang Dhol and Dholi taro more, while Lahu Muh Lag Gaya is class and gratitude combined.

You have worked with two of the most beautiful female actors of our times (Aishwarya Rai Bachan and Deepika Padukone) who is your personal favourite as a dancer?

Arsh: Both are very dedicated and hardworking. But my personal favourite is Aishwarya.       

Samir: Its Deepika for me (laughs) (Men will be Men…..wink)

Samir bhai's favorite: Deepika Padukone (wink)

Your upcoming project.

You will see us in Raees with Shahrukh Khan…

Indian Folk as a dance art form needs be more publicised and encouraged amongst our youth today. ‘The Tanna Jodi’ are a true inspiration in keeping these dance forms alive. Indeed, their ‘Love for Dance’ has brought them together and created ‘The Dance Of Love’

RAMJO RAMJO RE!!!

Special mention team Mansissim: Happy Baheti and Ahish.

The MONK who can DANCE...

‘Being BOHO in BALI’ was the theme of our recent travel/explore the world diaries of my girls and I. Bali is all about the serene beaches, the hot(wink) volcano mountain trek, beautiful temples, the crazy night life, and how can I forget the ever rejuvenating SPAS. We sure did accomplish our annual SPA treatment goals (wink, wink).

Explore new places, a trait that I picked up from Financial Guru (Dad) over the years, is elementary in defining my life goals, visions and perspective. The artist in me is always in search of a BOHEMIAN true to his/ her passion. And right before my trip I actually met one. Call him a GYPSY, call him crazy or simply call him ‘CROCROAXZ’…

The MONK

Raghav Juyal famously known as CROCROAXZ is renowned for the unique ‘SLOW MOTION’ dance style. His innate ability to combine Lyrical Hip Hop, Digiting and free style dance moves in slow motion has actually created a new dance form ‘SLOW-MO’ or the ‘CROCROAXZ’ style. I share the emotion with GEETA KAPOOR (judge/mentor on DID), on his debut in DID-3 (Dance India Dance) auditions - his classic SLO-MO walk on ‘SILSILA YEH CHAHAT KA’(Devdas-movie), when she said, “I want to take you HOME.”

Celebrated as the KING of SLOW MOTION and his ability to effortlessly tickle the Funny bone, Raghav till date leads the life of a NOMAD. In my special rendezvous with Raghav I got to explore a side of him that not many are aware of.

Everyone is a huge fan of the slow mo walk, it’s your trademark per se what was the motivation behind your signature style?

As a child I was always slow at everything be it studies or sports. I would actually tease my friends to hit me and I would fall on the ground in slow motion. So I decided to make my weakness my strength. Also we live in a fast paced world, everyone is running to achieve something, in this RACE I stood out for being SLOW (laughs).

How did CROCROAXZ come into existence?

I was a part of a dance crew ‘D- MANIACS’. Back in school my friends used to tease me with the name CROCROAZ. They would say my dance style is as powerful as a crocodile and as creepy as a cockroach, since then its stuck around with me forever.

Dance+ is one show wherein every element at the core is a dancer from the super judge to the mentors/ judges and also the host. How did anchoring happen?

Apart from dance life has been more of a serendipity for me. I got an audition call for the movie Sonali Cable from Ramesh Sippy Entertainment and was selected for the role of Sada. Later on Ranjit Sir from Star Tv called me and asked me to be a part of Dance+. I was sceptical as I had never hosted a show ever in my life and also I am not so good at reciting scripted lines. So he just asked me to be at my impromptu best and the show was made. I am thankful to the people for having accepted my jibber jabber on the show.

A wild memory from Dehradun and your struggling days?

Wow! There are so many…I love trekking, camping, etc so whenever I am in my hometown my friends and I go for treks. There have been 2-3 instances wherein I have actually encountered a tiger. And the only thing that human instincts tell you to do in such a situation is RUN for your life....

I belong to a small town, coming to Mumbai was actually like me travelling to a foreign land. I had my Bollywood hero moment when I got down at VT station and entered the ‘Sapno ki Nagri’. But I soon got my reality check by living in sheds and befriending rats (I named two of them as Tommy & Hilfiger) (LOLSSS). Until DID season 3 it was a bittersweet struggle.

Will Shakti ever accept your proposal on the show?

(The deadly silence)…NO (laughs) {heartbreak}. She’s the only girl I can joke around with and not feel sorry.

YEH BANDHAN TOH.... PYAR KA BANDHAN HAI.......JANMO KA SANGAM HAI (wink)

QUICK 5 with the SLOW KING(wink)

Favourite Actor: Kangana Ranaut & Nawazuddin Siddiqe.

Favourite Dance Style (apart from your style): Indian Classical (I was a bit surprised at his choice). I love to watch any dance form which I can’t do myself.

A Dancer/Dance Crew that has inspired you: JabberWocky (group).

Choices….

Famous Dancer/ Actor/ Host (anchor): Remove famous and I want to do everything.

Love/ Money/ Dance: ‘Love Always’ all the way. I don’t believe in channelizing Love to a thing or a person. Spread Love with nature, people and every living being.

A FINAL MESSAGE…

FAME is the DEVIL; ART is the ANGEL. Fame will come and go but Art will stay with you forever. And a request to all the people let us all work towards reducing pollution and make this world a better place to live in.

His humility and modesty impressed me to confer the ‘MONK’ title on him (pass for being politically incorrect-wink). With the Dance+ season 2 coming to an end I am going to miss The MONK (Raghav) on TV.

Special mention, photo credits Ashish and the soul of Mansissism: Happy Baheti....

My Master, My Guru, My DRONACHARYA...

It was a tale of sheer grit, determination and willpower by our ‘Bharat ki Beti’; Sakshi Malik (Bronze Medal- Wrestling), P V Sindhu (Silver Medal- Badminton) and Dipa Karmakar (4^th position- Gymnastics) at the recently concluded Rio Olympics 2016. Their journey would be incomplete without the special mention of their Coach; Kuldeep Malik , P Gopichand and Bishweshwar Nandi.

So it got me into thinking, would Arjuna (Mahabharat) be the world’s greatest archer if not for his master Dronacharya? or would Sachin Tendulkar be the celebrated batsman without the training and guidance from his master Coach Ramakant Achrekar? Even Benjamin Graham (author of ‘The Intelligent Investor and a professor at Columbia Business School) has a major role play in defining Warren Buffet’s style of value investing.

My life is majorly influenced by three entities, Financial Guru (Dad), and my Dance Guru’s Shri Kalyan Raman Pillai (Bharatnatyam) and Sandip Soparkar (Ballroom Dance Art)…

SAMBA

Ballroom is a conglomerate of various dance styles (Rumba, Cha Cha, Jive, Paso Doble, Salsa, Foxtrot, Waltz and the list is long). It’s very difficult to choose between these many styles but my personal favourite forms are Samba and Waltz. Think of a Brazilian Carnival fest and we know it’s got to be Samba, a dance of celebration and jubilancy, redefines the classic ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ (wink). On the contrary everything about Waltz is royal, from the grandiose to the appeal to the costumes, every movement is enticing. Just watching two people dance in a wave like movement (1-2-3; Down-up-down) will make you fall in Love again.

How do I know all this? The answer is one man Sandip Soparkar. The Global face for Ballroom India … (Cannes Film Festival, recent World Film Festival) needs no introduction. Ask him when do we see him progressing into film direction or acting (for the good looksJ), pat comes the reply ‘I love to Dance and I love to teach Dance. So the fear of not being able to dance will always prevent me from doing anything else (laughs).’

With the ‘Teachers’ Day’ approaching soon I thought to write about the journey of my master Sandip Soparkar.

Your father was in the Indian Military service what inspired you to take up dance as a full time profession?

In the army culture at parties we would have live bands n people dancing the foxtrot, waltz and other ballroom dances. So I was introduced to these dance forms very early in life. I pursued professional training (Ballroom) abroad along with my MBA studies. 15 years back I came to India on a holiday and some family commitments. KITU (Gidwani) took me out dancing to Velocity one night, some days later I got a call from Shyam Benegal’s office. I went to his Tardeo office, he said ‘I believe you dance very well’ and offered me to work with him on his film. That’s how Zubeida happened. The film became a hit, critically acclaimed, and fetched me my first award.......

You know the trend in Bollywood once it starts it just starts. So here I am 15 years and counting(smiles).

Tell us more about the India Dance Week….

India Dance week, I began this when I won the first award from the government ‘National Achievement Award’ in 2014. The government gave me a certain number of funds to do something for the dance community, so I thought why not create a platform where dance styles of different genres come together and celebrate the spirit of Dance Art. We started out as a 5 day festival but logistical hazards motivated us to pursue 2 days wherein 1 day is for showcasing and the other is for competition. It’s been 3 years since inception and the response has been overwhelming.

The place where it all began St Andrews college (Class Time):wink wink:-)

Which is your favourite Dance forms among the Latin and Standard Ballroom formats?

I love the Rumba and Paso Doble from Latin Ballroom style and Waltz is an all-time favourite amongst Standard Ballroom.

Who is your favourite dancer from the current crop of actors?

I like Hritik Roshan he is very talented, I just wish if he could devote more time to dancing and create something out of it. Among the girls I love Priyanka Chopra, she is fantastic you give her anything and she just picks it up. I have worked with both of them on various projects and a memorable one is Darling (Saat Khoon Maaf) with Priyanka.

Any final message…………

In my years of experience, I have seen people change when they start dancing and are struck by the Fame bug. Stay grounded with your talent and you will go places.

A rendezvous with Sandip Sir is always a beautiful memory etched in my aura. In the spirit of Teachers Day I would like to tweak the years old saying………

BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL MAN/WOMAN IS AN INSPIRATIONAL GURU.

My Guru!!

Special thanks to Amit Dolawat my fav Dance Partner and my lovely team Happy Baheti and Ashish.

I suffer from 'D' Virus

A recent development in my professional space got me into thinking of the glorified science of detachment. ‘Detachment’ a word that helps overcome a lot of shocks and surprises that life has in store for you. My office colleague has a simple way of putting things across the table that being “Yeh Sab MOH MAYA hai” and my classic human response to MOH MAYA is “easier said than DONE.”

In the world of dance and music however Detachment is a language in its own right. STACCATO (Italian for detachment) a form of musical articulation wherein a note of shortened duration is separated from the note followed on.  Lyrical Hip Hop is loosely inspired by the concept of Staccato. A dance beat separated from the main step to showcase a strong movement.

One name that came to my mind while writing about lyrical Hip Hop was Dharmesh Yelande famously known as D Sir. My earliest memories of him is his stint on DID (Dance India Dance) season 2. The show that earned him the name ‘D’. One of my favourite performances was his trio performance on the song Rasiya (Movie-Kurbaan). The most striking thing about his dance is indeed the Staccato. His unique ability to break the musical note and create an expression of its own is a delight to the eyes.

From a dance teacher in Vadodara to a national icon his journey is no less than a classic Bollywood masala film. 

D is the CHAMPION ;-)

I love Mumbai in the rains, so what better day could I ask for to meet D. A Saturday afternoon, Dharmesh at his casual best, rains playing the perfect background score, I finally caught the D Virus (wink)

Let us talk about the journey of ‘D’ (Dharmesh)?

I am a Maharashtrian born and brought up in Gujarat. In hindi we say ‘MAA KE PET SE SIKH KE AAYA HAI’, dance for me is something like that. I was not very good at studies so dance was the best resort (laughs). I was very fortunate to have a family that always supported my decision to pursue dance. So I actually started my journey with Bharatanatyam, however being from a modest background I could not afford the class fees. I then went on to meet my sir Krishna Rao who introduced me to free style and western dance forms (HIP HOP, LOCK & POP….). Few years down the lane I started my own dance class D- Virus. It was not enough to make the ends meet so I put up a Misal Paav stall alongside my father’s tea stall (it was a competition as to who made more money every day). I was so crazy about dance that when my mom asked me to pursue a job, I took one on the condition that it would get over before 6 so that I could pursue my dance classes. Opportunities kept knocking my door with my stint as a back ground dancer in Gujarati and Bhojpuri films. In 2008, I won the Boogie Woogie championship with the price money of 5 lacs. Never in my life before had I seen such a ransom. Then came Dance India Dance, unfortunately I could not participate in season 1 due to the age restriction (15-25 years). In Season 2 the age limit was increased (15-30 yrs.), being a huge fan of Remo Sir I pounced on the opportunity to participate this time and the rest is history…

How did acting happen?

In my childhood a fortune teller predicted that I would be in the showbiz. At that time, we all laughed it out kahan chote sheher ka chokra hero banega (how would a small town boy be a star). Post DID Remo sir has once called us ( Puneet, Salman, Prince...) to his place. Siddharth Roy Kapoor from Disney UTV was there and Remo sir announced these kids are the stars of my movie (ABCD- anybody can dance). It was a huge risk as apart from Prabhu Deva none of us were actors. But the movie was a hit and then came the second installment ABCD 2 which was a huger hit.

From a contestant(mentee) in DID (Dance India Dance- Season 2) to a mentor in Dance plus what has the transition been like? 

You know as a child it was my dream to be a background dancer, my dream sequence was me dancing behind a Bollywood superstar (laughs). Toh mujhe UMEED se DOOGNA mila hai (I have achieved more than I asked for…). To answer your question, in DID I had 3 amazing masters (Remo Sir, Geeta Ma & Terence Sir) guiding me through the season. Ever since I wanted to earn my spot on that judging chair. I would always observe their mannerisms and their outlook while judging any performance. Post DID I got the opportunity to mentor on DID little masters and my kid Jeetu Moni won the season. But I was still waiting for a larger podium. So when Dance+ came across I took up the job hands on… And we all know that V company from my team won the season. So ya the transition has been inspiring.

Apart from D style what is your favourite dance form?

I do not have one particular favourite as it keeps changing with the mood and music. But ROBOTICS is one dance form that stands out for me.

Tell us more about Banjo…

I was a judging Marathi reality show MAD (Manjhe Assal Dancer) when I met Ravi Jhadhav (director of BANJO). Later on he came to me with the script of BANJO. Banjo is a story of 4 friends who take their music from the chawls of Mumbai to New York. I play the character of GRESE the drummer. The film also stars Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakri.

D the Actor or D the Dancer?

That’s a tough one because dance is my Soul and acting is my Life, can’t have one without the other (wink).

Words of Wisdom for your fans….

My motto in life is ‘JO HOTA HAI ACHE KE LIYE HOTA HAI.’ Whenever I meet young kids and contestants on dance shows I always tell them to keep going even if the way is tough. Be so good with your talent (Dance) that judges fight to have you in their team. I had Remo sir, Geeta ma and Terrence sir all vouching for me in DID. Let your talent speak for you, Winning or Losing won’t ever matter then……..

With Dance+ season 2 around the corner D virus is surely VIRAL (wink)……..

D Virus

Special mention, Happy Baheti and Ashish Baheti (photo credits).

One Man ARMY

SURESH MUKUND.

More than often I have observed that human mind has this unique quality of SHUT DOWN or the SWITCH OFF MODE when we do not understand or rather don’t want to understand the nuances of things we are not good at. As I have earlier mentioned in my blogs the dance forms that I have been trained in, bring out the more poised and structured side. And yet my favourite dance movies in the current era (Step Up Series, Save the Last Dance, Streets, etc) showcase the vibrant, boisterous & clearly the most difficult dance form for me (wink) “HIP HOP”. Hence I am always in the Switch Off mode while viewing this marvelous art as I will never be able to master it.

Hip hop or rather the various forms of street dancing (pop n lock, whacking, jabber walkie, krumping, etc) to me has always been a dance of Nomads…..(strictly my opinion). My heart skips a beat whenever I see well-co-ordinated dance groups performing incredible head stunts and flips. The movie ABCD2, second installment of the dance movie franchise (ABCD- Any Body Can Dance) was inspired by the journey of two ambitious hip hop dancers (Suresh Mukund & Vernon Monteiro) who dreamt of putting India on the world map of Hip Hop Championship.

Back in school one of my classmates ‘The Beauty with Brains’ chic, in her speech said a line ‘the word Impossible reinstates I M POSSIBLE.’ at our farewell party. She sure did win a lot of hearts that day and the coveted ‘Miss Convent’ title. Walking down the memory lane I remembered the afore mentioned as it clearly holds true for Suresh Mukund (the One Man Army).

Will the real Surru please Stand Up??? (wink.........)

Thanks to ABCD2 we all know the story of the Fictitious Group founded by Suresh and Vernon. Post the split from Vernon (Fictitious group) Suresh upped the ante’ by winning a bronze medal for India in his second innings at the World Hip Hop Championship 2015. The journey to the Bronze was tumultuous, exhausting and most importantly an inspiring one. In my research I came across this article wherein Suresh stated “My aim was to change the mindset of the people that Indians cannot create something on their own. I wanted to prove that we don't need to follow others, that we can set an example of our own by adding our own Indian flavour to the dance.  It was apna style.” Truly with ‘Apna style’ they won big and they won it in STYLE.

I decided to decode the new chapter in Suresh’s (SURRU- lovingly called) life. So I chose to visit his studio ‘Kings United Kingdom of Art’ and meet the MAN and in the trade-off learn some kickass moves. As I enter his studio, a huge standalone structure- enough to accommodate a 100 dancers at a time, I meet the enigmatic and very handsome(wink) SURRU.  My expectations: the man who has a successful Biopic made on him at such a young age would be a narcissist at some level but after spending time at his studio all I got to see was someone who is crazy enough take chances and passionate enough to believe in his vision.

My Gup Shup with SURRU.......

Tell me more about your win at the championship last year?

My breakup with Fictitious Group (Vernon) tarnished my image and left me feeling that I need to prove my stand. So my impulse decision was to participate at the World Hip Hop Championship. Every year India has three official entries at the Championship and last year the groups selected were 13.13, scorpions & i am hip hop. I tried my best to convince the selection committee to add our name in the list but luck was not supporting me then. Around a month and a half before the championship we got an intimation that 13.13 could not make it so we were the next best choice. We had a guest performance at Indians got talent and we prepared the act within one night so it inspired us to take up the challenge (Championship).

We did not have a place to rehearse so my father who belongs to the construction line helped us find a shed (rented) within 7 days. The place was inadequate but at least we had a place to rehearse. We only had 13-14 days prior to the championship and then the visa application struggle. Travelling to the place was a costly affair but thanks Varun Dhawan, he helped us find sponsorship (Ponds) and also funded our trip partly.

But the struggle was not over our flights got cancelled at the end moment. Somehow we managed to book new flights and reached the preliminary qualifiers just a day before the round whereas other teams had 3-4 days of practice time. That very year the competition location shifted from Las Vegas to San Diego which added to our accommodation costs. Lack of stage rehearsals and no clarity in act did mar our confidence a little but we made sure we rehearse the entire night before the prelims. The result was a crazy crowd uproar, standing ovation and a 3^rd place. What worked in our favour was that we did not ape the west instead we added an Indian touch to our routines. It was a big risk on my part but as they say ‘Higher the Risk Higher the Returns’.

 Semis was another task. Unfortunately, we made a lot of visible mistakes but I still had that lingering hope somewhere that we would make it to the final 8 just like our last outing. While the results were being announced I told my gang ‘Kya bharosa hum log unko (Brotherhood gang) bhi hara de’ (brotherhood gang were the defending champions in 2014) and that’s how it happened Brotherhood came in the 5^th position and we were in the 4^th position. A big confidence booster indeed.

THE FINAL CREW......

Before the finals one of my crew members (Pawan) fell terribly sick and a slight mistake in the final performance was the last thing going against us. At the final results announcement, we were trying to get a sneak peak of the flags chosen and finally we heard it INDIA wins the BRONZE medal. That memory is captured in my eyes even today.

ABCD2 ki adhoori kahani puri kar di.............

Post the achievement, I decided to create one of the largest hubs in India wherein anyone from any socio economic background can come and pursue their passion. We also thought of providing hostel facilities that would encourage kids from all parts of India to come here and just do what they do best Dance. That’s how KINGS UNITED KINGDOM OF ARTS came into existence.

What is the one thing you love apart from dancing?

Adventure Sports: I have done Sky Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Diving, Flyboard and the list is long... it’s the sheer adrenaline rush and a sense of power that I experience while doing these things.

Is the handsome Suresh Mukund Married?

Yes (Heartbreak, Heartbreak L). I am married to my childhood sweetheart Pallavi. She has been my rock solid support system throughout.

Do you believe in Dance reality shows?

Yes,I am what I am because of reality shows. Had it not been for Boogie Woogie or India’s Got Talent we would not have the initial phase of visibility factor. The win at India’s Got Talent season 3 has been a game changer for us and there’s been no looking back ever since.

Why not appear in Dance plus?

I was more focused on the international championship as we had already gone through the Indian reality phase. And, as I mentioned earlier I wanted to complete the incomplete story of ABCD2.

The next big thing in Suruesh Mukunds Life?

Direction is the next way to go.

SURRU was generous enough to let me learn a few dance steps along with his energetic crew. Hip Hop not my strength, but I was fortunate enough to meet a man who like me understands the language of DANCE (although different styles).

He has indeed brought about a change in the lives of many budding artists through his humility, belief and the WILL to WIN…………….