Gone are days when choreographers were dubbed as unsung heroes of the dance industry. Sonia Jaffer and Marischa Fernandes of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa take K Bhardwaj through their world
Mentors of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa are enjoying equal screen space as their celebrity-partners. Sonia Jaffer who partnered with Siddharth Shukla in this edition of Jhalak said, “Reality shows are great. They give plenty of exposure. Once you are on screen, people recognise you. If you win, you get more acknowledgement.”
She commented that exposure takes dancing aspirants to a bigger level. They don’t need to fret over a dearth of work opportunities. “I don’t run after producers or anyone. When one appears on TV, they get a sense of your calibre,” said the dancer, who did 13 films including Nishabd, Go, Mera Bhai Not Out and Carnage by Angels and others.
She is elated at getting to collaborate with Shukla of Balika Vadhu fame. Jhalak has just begun and they have already struck great rapport. “Our equation is great. He doesn’t have attitude or ego issues. He is open to learn. I don’t face problems even though he is a non-dancer,” she informed.
But Jaffer points out how challenging it is to train a celebrity who never shook a leg before. “Getting a small step precise requires discipline. I have to prepare his mind, then body. Actually, he (Shukla) is shooting everyday. He comes late night for rehearsals and by then is already drained. But thankfully, he doesn’t require to be cheered up. He knows our hard work. He respects it. Sometimes, he would say, ‘I cannot do it right away. I will do it tomorrow.’ He would practice certain steps at least 5-6 times. Being a mentor to a non-dancer, I keep my mind open and keep him comfortable,” she said.
Another successful choreographer, Marischa Fernandes is busy training Shaan. She told us, “We are like buddies. He cracks amazing one-liners.” Fernandes, born and brought up in Mumbai, has already done three seasons with Jhalak in past. She and her partner Meiyang Chang won the show during 2011.
At nine, she began learning dance under the tutelage of Shiamak Davar. In 2002, she started on her own. Freelance projects, stage shows, award functions. “I still feel that there was less pressure in the industry when I started. But now, everyone is dancing. It is overkill. Competition is like never before. But then, dancers in Bollywood have to struggle all their life, that’s how it is,” she shared. Fernandes would love to choreograph films and is happy doing standalone shows at the moment. “I also do lots of puppetry. They are corporate events. Money is good and clients are happy,” she told us.
She believed reality shows would give a platform but one should know to utilise them.
“It gets you known. One becomes confident. It gives students training. I do multi-city tours and workshops regularly. It depends on how a person uses the opportunity,” she asserted. Apart from Jhalak, there are shows like Dance India Dance, with its formats for kids, mothers and others. Remo D'Souza’s ABCD blurred the line between dancers and actors. With shows and films lined up, dance preachers are set to become sensations.