‘I’ll be dancing till I die’

How was the energy with Dimple Kapadia?
Dimple ma’am is truly a woman of substance. She transforms in front of the camera. As young actors,we get nervous and fidget a lot but she has this amazing poise that comes from experience. Like I’m so calm when I’m performing with my dance troupe on stage,she’s the same in front of the camera. It was as much joy to watch Rishi Kapoor enact his role. He is pure electricity on the sets.

What about Hrithik Roshan?
(Laughs) Hrithik is an amazing dancer,actor and person. In the words of Romi Rolly (Rishi Kapoor’s character in Luck By Chance),“Main bade bol nahin bolta,he’s a vulcano of talent.” I had done an ad with Hrithik earlier,so I knew about his rehearsal routine. He’s so talented yet he doesn’t take it easy and religiously rehearses. We have different dancing styles. I can’t do what he does and he can’t do what I do.

So,who is a better dancer?
We’re both different. It’s unfair to compare.

Name other actors who you think dance well.
I like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. They might not be technically proficient but their energy is commendable. Being professionally trained has its advantages but energy is equally important to be a performer. Both SRK and Aamir have the ability to connect with the audience which is fantastic.

Since you’re a trained dancer,do choreographers have unrealistic expectations from you?
Not only choreographers,even I want to raise my bar with every film. I want to push myself harder and challenge my physical boundaries. When we did the Baawre song,I was suspended from a hook in the air and the costume I was wearing had a lot of diamonds on it and I ended up being scratched all over but it was no big deal because the song came out so well. I’ve climbed ropes with a fractured foot. It’s only when you fall you can rise.

Do you feel you’ll get typecast as “the girl who is forever hanging from ropes”?
(Laughs) Come on,I’ve hung from ropes in just two films,so you can’t exactly call me a veteran of this technique. Maybe,in my next film,I’ll do something entirely different.

What does your mother,award-winning danseuse Daksha Sheth,feel about your Bollywood journey?
She’s very proud of me. She knows that even though I get so many film offers,I’m committed to strike a constant balance between my dance and film career. My dance requires me to lead a very reclusive lifestyle,stuck away in my home on the Vellayam lake in Thiruvananthapuram. Since I’ve always led that kind of a quiet life,it takes a lot out of me to strike a balance with the razzmatazz of Mumbai. She sees how hard I work to make sure I don’t let the active social life in Mumbai get to me. She respects the fact that dance is my first priority. You guys go ga-ga over my filmi numbers but I do ten-folds more with my mom’s troupe.

So,essentially you’re a dancer,not an actor?
Yes. Dance is my life,my first love. I’ll be dancing till I die. I’ve been brought up with a value system that doesn’t emphasise on material things. I don’t care if I never get to own a Mercedes or sign multi-film deals or endorsements. I don’t care if I die really poor. As long as I get to dance,I’m happy.

Is it true you had never watched television till very recently?
Yes,till date,I’ve never seen any show,news programme or serial on TV. Two weeks back,when I came to Mumbai for the release of Luck By Chance,I was shown some promos on a music channel. That’s the sum total of my experience with television. We don’t have cable television at home. Once in a while,we were allowed to watch movies and DVDs but never anything else. For that matter,I don’t even read newspapers or magazines. I lead a very reclusive life. My day starts with dance at 6 am and till 4 pm,I only dance. For recreation,I swim in the lake or climb trees.

What else is happening on the dance front?
Currently,we’re busy putting together our latest dance theatre production. This is very crucial for me since for the first time,I’m assisting my mom in choreography,my dad with direction and my brother,Tao,with music. The show will be held on April 3 in Mumbai and currently we are rehearsing 14 hours a day.