NTERVIEW | Mir Ranjan Negi | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4

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Posted: 17 years ago

NTERVIEW | Mir Ranjan Negi

"You just can't give up"

A. L. Chougule
That's the spirit Mir Ranjan Negi displays on the dance floor. Having had a nervous start, the erstwhile hockey player and coach has since been a hot favourite both on and off the show

You are the seniormost participant in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa but your performance tells a different story. What makes you dance with passion and enthusiasm?
When I stepped on to the dance floor for my first performance,I was quite nervous and hesitant. I did perform reasonably well but there wasn't much energy in my dance as compared to my choreographer and partner Malishka. Also, there were no expressions on my face. Malishka told me to stand in front of the mirror and work on expressions by making different faces and gestures. It looked really funny and embarrassing too but it helped quite a lot. Gradually I got into the groove and since then things have been going well for me.

Did you think that you would get into the groove so soon?
No. Learning dance wasn't easy at all for me. I had rehearsed for about 50 hours spread over four weeks before I did my first performance. But I managed to pull through and I am glad that I have had a good journey so far.

Judges gave you the full 30 marks twice.
It's been a lot of hard work. I have been practicing for nine hours and the competition is getting tougher and tougher. From next week, every contestant will perform on two songs and it's going to be tough to do two songs every week. There is a lot of physical and mental stress because suddenly all the contestants have started working very hard and pushing themselves to limits. In fact, as compared to last year the competition this year is lot more tough.

So how are you coping with the pressure and stress?
I am a sportsman and can work hard. When the pressure gets tough I get going. I play tennis every day for two hours and do Yoga regularly. Over the last six weeks I have lost eight kilos but I am enjoying it all. The judges' comments encourage me to work even harder. In fact, when I saw Jeetendra dancing, I realised that what one needs is right frame of mind and enthusiasm.

Is Chak De! India the best thing that happened to you?
Absolutely. I have gone through lot of suffering in life. There is a long story but let's not get into that. Chak De! made me an idol for young people. I am not from this industry and Sony people had seen me on Amul Star Voice of India and approached me for this show. Having suffered a lot, I thought let's enjoy life now. Let's do this show, let's dance.

Does the fear of elimination bother you?
I am not scared of elimination. In fact, I am not bothered about winning or losing. I am here on the show not for money or winning the title but to promote hockey.

Did you feel bad for any contestant when he or she was voted out?
Yes, I did. Sudha Chandran's elimination was shocking because she is a very good dancer. When Prachi was voted out I felt very bad for her. In fact, I cried for the first time on the show when Prachi's name was announced.

Are there any do's and don'ts for you on the show?
Yes, I am not comfortable doing intimate or passionate movements. I have refused to do certain things because they won't go with my age and image.

In your view who are the two good celebrity dancers on the show?
Sandhya and Negi (laughs). Everyone is good and each one is doing his or her best. But being a sportsperson I am not scared to take shots. Even if you are down and out you got to play the game till the end. You just can't give up.

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Sneha

@sneha_2100

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Posted: 17 years ago

I really like his spirit. According to me he is the best thing that has come out of JDJ so far.

Im a huge fan of his and I hope he wins the competition. He truly deserves it more than anyone else.