Tushar Kalia: “I want to choreograph Madhuri Dixit in a film”
Having gone from a contestant to a judge in the dance reality show genre in only four years is a huge and fast achievement. However, Tushar Kalia is sure to keep his feet firmly on the ground and he recently spoke to the media about his success and his camaraderie with fellow ‘Dance Deewane’ judge Madhuri Dixit-Nene.
“I started dancing eight years ago when I was working for a company. I trained under my guru Santosh Nair for eight years, and eventually, got a chance to be a part of ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ (2014) and ‘India’s Got Talent’ (2015 – 2016). From there, I began my journey in the world of entertainment. I choreographed all the songs in ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ (2016). After that, there was no looking back,” Times of India reports him stating.
He went on to add, “While I was busy choreographing for films, I got this golden opportunity to judge a dance reality show with Madhuri ji. It was so surprising because just four years ago, she was on the judging panel while I was a contestant on ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’. And here I was, sitting to next to her and sharing the same stage on ‘Dance Deewane’ (2018 – present). The show was a success, and I am now judging the second season, too. It’s an honour to be on the same judging panel as Madhuri ji.”
‘Dance Deewane’, which is now in season two, also has Shashank Khaitan as a judge on the show. When asked about the relationship between him, Dixit Nene and Khaitan, Kalia expressed, “All four of us, Arjun Bijlani (host), Shashank Khaitan, Madhuri ji and I are very comfortable with each other. There is no script given to us nor are we asked to talk in a certain way. We are the same whether the camera is on or off.”
He went on to talk about Dixit Nene, adding, “Last year, I got a chance to choreograph a dance performance for Madhuri ji. She has a great body of work, and when she dances on stage, you can’t take your eyes off her.”
“Choreographing a dance number in a film is different from directing live performances, the energy is different. I want to choreograph her in a film, and hopefully, it should happen soon,” he said.
If his success is anything to go by, it seems audiences will be seeing a lot more of Kalia’s work in the years to come.
