Alien
Cultures
Q:
You
are
from
a
non-Western
culture,
to
begin
with.
So
grappling
with
alien
cultures
is
not
new
to
you?
A:
Exactly.
I
was
quite
young
when
we
immigrated
from
the
Ukraine
to
America.
So,
I
am
not
new
to
the
experience
of
learning
about
a
new
culture.
Also,
I
live
in
New
York
which
is
a
cultural
melting
pot.
Different
Cultures
I've
friends
from
all
over
the
world...India,
China,
Africa,
Germany,
the
Ukraine.
I've
travelled
all
over
the
world
and
accumulated
a
vast
amount
of
experiences
from
everywhere.
I
lived
in
Italy
for
a
year.
I
learnt
Italian.
I
am
used
to
learning
about
cultures
from
the
scratch.
Jhalak
-
Dancing
With
The
Stars
Q:
How
different
is
'Jhalak
Dikhhla
Jaa' from
'Dancing
With
The
Stars'?
A:
Very
different.
To
begin
with,
our
show
'Dancing
With
The
Stars'
was
live
and
shot
in
two
hours.
'Jhalak
Dikhhla
Jaa'
is
shot
over
the
entire
day
and
not
live.
Bollywood
Dance
When
I
came
here
first,
I
didn't
know
how
to
react.
It
was
all
so
new
to
me.
But
now
I
am
having
a
blast.
Five
hours
of
shooting
swishes
by
as
though
it
is
30
minutes.
I've
spent
nine
years
being
a
contemporary
dancer
in
the
United
States.
Bollywood
dancing
is
a
completely
different
experience.
Madhuri
Dixit
And
Karan
Johar
But
what
I've
noticed
is
that
the
contestants
have
a
lot
more
respect
for
the
judges.
I've
just
begun
to
realise
that
Madhuri
is
a
legendary
figure.
And
Karan
Johar
has
a
track-record
of
successful
films.
I
had
come
here
for
a
new
experience.
I
thought
I'd
be
a
good
judge
on
the
show.
But
now
I've
to
be
even
better
than
just
a
good
judge
in
order
to
live
up
to
the
standards
on
the
show.
Maksim's
Journey
From
Ukraina
To
US
Q:
Your
journey
from
the
Ukraine
to
the
United
States
reads
like
the
script
of
a
film.
Have
you
ever
thought
of
a
film
on
your
life?
A:
Contrary
to
how
I
come
across
on
television,
I
come
from
a
very
humble
background.
I've
been
through
a
lot.
I've
been
approached
to
write
a
book.
It
makes
commercial
sense.
But
I
still
feel
I
am
too
young
and
not
accomplished
enough
to
tell
my
story.
My
brother
and
I
are
still
learning,
trying
to
understand
various
cultures,
trying
to
understand
what's
going
on
in
the
world.
Maksim's
Fascinating
Life
I
will
write
my
story
one
day.
And
I'll
do
it
only
if
I
feel
that
my
story
and
those
experiences
that
I
persevered
through
though
they
were
not
all
pleasant,
will
help
of
some
people
to
make
something
of
their
lives.It
has
to
be
done
not
just
for
commercial
purposes.I
do
have
a
fascinating
life.
But
more
than
my
own
life
I'd
love
to
write
about
my
parents.
They
gave
me
and
my
brother
a
life
we
could
never
even
dream
of.
Maksim's
Worlds
Q:
You've
been
linked
with
some
of
the
most
beautiful
women
in
America.
How
do
you
reconcile
the
two
very
different
worlds
where
you
come
from
and
where
success
has
taken
you?
A:
It's
the
kind
of
upbringing
my
brother
and
I
got.
Our
dad
taught
me
there
are
are
no
irreplaceable
people
in
this
world.
So,
you've
to
earn,
cherish
and
value
the
place
that
you
are
in.
The
place
you
get
in
life
you
have
to
make
your
own
and
try
to
make
it
better.
Maksim's
Years
Of
Struggle
We
migrated
20
years
ago.
But
we
went
through
10
to
12
years
of
acute
struggle.
We
survived
because
our
family
was
headstrong
about
its
values.
We
never
allowed
ourselves
to
be
swayed
by
circumstances.
I
wish
I've
inherited
some
of
my
parents' values.
That's
all
that
matters.
Maksim's
Goal
Q:
What
do
you
return
to
after
your
stint
in
'Jhalak
Dikhhla
Jaa'?
A:
I've
got
a
bunch
of
projects
lined
up.
There
are
many
offers
on
the
table.
I
am
welcoming
all
the
experiences
with
open
arms.I
count
myself
blessed.
There's
political
unrest
everywhere.
I
never
thought
I'd
hear
people
cry
on
CNN
for
help
in
my
country
and
language
(Ukrainian).
That
makes
me
feel
very
humble
about
the
opportunities
that
I've
received
in
life.
I
feel
very
blessed.
Q:
Hopefully
one
day
you'll
be
able
to
help
others
like
you
from
your
homeland?
A:
Yes,
that's
my
goal.