Actor Eijaz Khan returns to dance after an old shoulder injury. He tells Divya Kaushik about early stage shows and the one he did to pay the pager bill!
Dance to you....
....has always been part of my routine. I’m not a trained dancer. But whenever I am happy, I dance. Most of us do little jigs in that state of mind. During a shoot for Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa my mom, brother and I did a small dance together. I was really happy to do that.
Your family and dance...
My brother Imran Khan is a choreographer. My sister-in-law runs the Mona Khan Dance Academy in San Francisco. I think the first dance I did was at a school event. We trained under Ashley lobo. Just out of school, I did Spirit of Rangeela, a big show that paid my pager bill. Then I got busy with my engineering and more shows, until I was injured. My shoulder was dislocated during a show.
JDJ’s pitch is that it features non-dancers, though some have a grounding in dance....
True. But there was lauren, a beautiful, talented dancer. I performed with Shweta Tiwari and know her as brilliant. This time the girls are great looking and the guys are really hot!
How do you think the show will help your careerIJ
Jhalak brought me back to dance after I lost connect. It is too early to comment on how the show will help my career graph. But its a great platform to learn forms like bachata, salsa, flamenco etc. I never specialised in any particular form.
Your favourite dances…
I love flamenco….no I think it’s jazz.
Your strength and weakness as a dancer…
I face a problem with lifts. My neck and back are still not in good shape. There are times when I practice continuously for long hours and get a shooting pain in my back or neck area. I am not even in perfect state to move my head swiftly. I cannot think of making my partner swing in the air, as required by some performances. So I am working on my physical strength. My plus point is my confidence and ability to present myself on stage. Being an actor is an advantage. You need not work on presentation skills and expressions, which are integral to any dance. Jhalak judges you by dancing skills and technicality. The judges, Remo D Souza, Karan Johar and Madhuri Dixit are excellent at their job. They rate you on overall performance. It is impossible to hide weaknesses on stage. So I think my confidence and acting talent are put to good use on stage.
Your favourite dance sequence in a film — international or desi…
One of Michael Jackson’s performance in 1995. I remember my brother and I tried to mimic it.
Dance is about abandon…
I had a moment like that in 1999, during the Miss India awards in Pune. It was a contemporary sequence, where half our face was painted as woman. I think it was the theme of Shakti. The sequence had a certain energy so I almost lost myself while performing. I felt energy within.
What have you picked up from your choreographer....
My choreographer Sonali Kar is young and enthusiastic. I like her attitude. I feel I need to get matured as a dancer and should get trained by her.
Your guru or dancing iconIJ
Michael Jackson. I have worshipped him as an artist all my life.