Monday,
October
01,
2007
Hockey
player
Mir
Ranjan
Negi
is
an
unlikely
candidate
for
'Jhalak
Dikhla
Jaa',
but
he
is
a
sportsman,
and
his
duty
to
respond
to
a
challenge.
He
is
the
only
non-glamorous
quotient
in
the
show,
but
he
promises
not
to
disappoint
viewers.
Q.
First
things
first
–
did
you
watch
the
first
season
of
'Jhalak
Dikhla
Jaa'?
A.
I
watched
two
episodes.
And
I
never
thought,
even
in
my
wildest
dreams
that
I
would
be
on
the
same
stage
one
day.
Had
I
known
earlier,
I
would
have
attempted
to
learn
a
few
steps
from
Shiamak
Davar's
troupe,
when
we
were
shooting
'Chak
De
India'
in
Australia.
Or
I
would
have
visited
a
few
discos
at
least.
Q.
Is
there
any
specific
reason
why
you
wanted
to
be
a
part
of
this
show?
A.
Actually,
there
are
quite
a
few
reasons.
I
believe
that
hockey
will
never
be
given
its
due
recognition,
till
there
is
some
glamour
and
money
associated
with
it.
Otherwise,
it
has
no
future.
'Chak
De
India'
has,
no
doubt,
added
some
curiosity
for
the
game,
and
I
am
not
undermining
its
contribution.
Bollywood
and
Hockey
–
the
combination
has
proved
to
be
of
advantage
to
the
sport.
We
are
trying
our
best
to
generate
interest
in
Hockey,
not
only
in
India,
but
worldwide.
Q.
Are
you
a
celebrity
because
of
'Chak
De
India',
or
is
the
movie
a
success
because
of
you?
A.
Both
are
successful
because
of
the
other.
The
movie
not
only
reminded
people
that
Hockey
exists,
but
also
made
me
famous.
The
unfortunate
state
that
the
sport
is
in
has
been
brought
to
light,
and
I
can
take
some
credit
for
that.
Q.
What
is
the
first
thing
that
comes
to
mind,
when
you
hear
the
word
"dance'?
A.
Dance
is
an
expression
of
joy.
We
dance
when
we
are
happy.
We
have
so
many
sorrows
in
life.
My
son
passed
away
in
a
motorcycle
accident
on
October
21,
2005.
Words
cannot
describe
what
I
went
through.
It
has
not
even
been
two
years,
and
I
never
expected
to
be
so
happy,
so
soon.
I
am
going
through
a
phase
where
I
need
to
dance,
and
it
is
just
a
co-incidence
that
I
got
a
call
from
'Jhalak
Dikhla
Jaa'.
Q.
Would
you
call
this
an
extraordinary
co-incidence,
or
the
good
wishes
of
your
late
son?
A.
It
is
my
son,
watching
over
me.
He
is
still
with
me.
I
will
do
everything
within
my
power
to
make
Hockey
a
popular
sport,
and
I
will
do
it
so
that
his
soul
rests
in
peace.
I
am
building
a
foundation,
in
my
son
Abhiranjan's
name,
the
members
of
which
will
inspire
school
students
to
attain
interest
in
Hockey.
In
fact,
there
will
be
teachers,
too,
who
will
teach
students
the
basics
of
the
game.
We
will
begin
with
Mumbai,
but
we
hope
to
spread
out
to
the
rest
of
the
country
as
well.
Q.
How
have
you
dealt
with
the
loss
of
your
late
son?
A.
I
can
never
regain
what
I
have
lost,
and
I
can
never
forget
him.
It
is
easier
for
other
people
to
tell
me
to
get
over
it,
but
I
cannot.
However,
I
will
still
fight
for
others.
I
want
to
be
an
example
to
people
around
me.
I
have
a
few
friends,
who
have
been
through
bad
times,
and
have
hit
the
bottle.
They
have
lost
all
hope
in
life.
I
do
not
want
to
become
like
that.
I
am
still
optimistic;
life
still
has
many
surprises
in
store.
I
do
not
know
about
winning,
but
I
will
fight.
I
have
"miles
to
go
before
I
sleep".
Q.
Voters
decide
the
fate
of
the
contestants
in
'Jhalak
Dikhla
Jaa'
–
what
are
your
expectations?
A.
I
have
a
lot
of
expectation
from
the
viewers.
People
who
believe
in
God
believe
in
themselves,
and
they
see
a
little
of
themselves
in
me.
These
are
the
people,
who
believe
in
a
challenge,
and
are
courageous
enough
to
accept
the
results.
These
are
the
people
who
will
vote
for
me,
I
am
certain
of
that.
Q.
Any
memorable
experiences
while
you
were
learning
to
dance?
A.
As
I
have
already
mentioned,
I
have
never
danced
in
my
life.
Salsa,
Samba,
Jazz
–
these
dance
forms
require
perfection
in
execution.
The
expressions
on
the
dancer's
face
changes
from
moment
to
moment.
There
is
one
experience
I
want
to
share.
The
hall
where
we
practice
has
a
very
slippery
floor,
and
I
have
already
tripped
my
partner
twice.
She
never
said
a
word
to
me,
but
I
know
she
must
have
been
hurt
pretty
badly
–
she
fell
hard
on
the
floor
every
time.
I
realized
this,
and
that
is
why
I
have
taken
to
practicing
barefoot.
Q.
How
did
your
wife
and
younger
son
react
to
your
decision
to
be
a
part
of
the
show?
A.
My
wife,
Vinita,
kept
asking
me
why
I
wanted
to
be
a
part
of
the
show.
My
son,
Nilesh,
was
happy
for
me,
and
excited,
too.
I
am
a
sportsman,
and
I
believe
in
a
challenge.
One
should
not
be
afraid
to
lose,
or
wonder
what
others
will
say.
I
may
not
be
from
the
glamour
industry,
nor
do
I
know
how
to
dance,
but
this
is
a
challenge
I
am
willing
to
accept.
Vinita
is
worried
about
my
appearance,
because
I
am
old.
I
reminded
her
that
even
Anupam
Kher
dances,
when
he
has
to.
I
promise
not
only
the
viewers,
but
also
my
partner,
who
wasted
50
hours
on
me,
that
I
will
not
let
them
down.