“Salman’s participation really motivates me as a contestant”- Arjun Bijlani
Says the Naagin actor who only wants to concentrate on his performance and not on anybody else’s.

Saturday, July 30, 2016 | 10:31:36 AM IST (+05:30 GMT)
7 Comments | By Swarupa Tantravahi

Arjun Bijlani finally did what thousands of his fans wanted him to do, i.e take part in Colors’ ‘Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa 9’. The actor is prepping up hard for his stint in the dance reality show and is bearing the brunt of constant injuries.

Tellybuzz got talking to Arjun about all his proceedings and a Jhalak of what his fans can expect from him and the upcoming season.

To begin with, you have suffered a lot of injuries already..

Yes, I am planning to make a movie on myself titled ‘The Injured Man’ (laughs). Actually, when you rehearse for 8-9 hours on a stretch; your body is not very used to that kind of physical training. Adding to that, you also tend to drink less water and not eat well. Hence, injuries are bound to happen. One has to be very careful and I am taking all the precautions now. Its when you ignore such basic rules, you end up getting hurt.

I have already had multiple injuries and to my luck; all of them have been on places which need a stretch while dancing. Firstly, I have injured the edge of my tailbone and pelvic bone, where bone got swollen. Then during my technical rehearsals, I injured my forearm. My entry was such that I had to roll onto the stage and that was when I banged my forearm on the edge of the stage. So my bone is slightly shifted and that is painful. My physiotherapist is trying to put that back into place.

Then I was trying this one lift where I lost my balance and Bhavna fell on my neck. Her complete weight was on my neck and that was such a jolt for me that I thought that was my last day. I was like, “Arjun ki journey duniya se khatam ho gayi.” But that injury has healed now. However, my leg injury is still painful. I’ve been putting my leg in warm water since two days. It’s better now, but not fine.

Are you satisfied and happy with your opening act?

Honestly, during my opening act, I goofed up a bit. We were dancing in water and suddenly I realized that my ring was slipping off my finger and that got me distracted. In a bid to catch hold of my ring, I froze but for a split second. I caught up soon with the others but that ultimately was a mistake.

What do you feel about the judges?

Karan (Johar) is great because apart from being a great director and host, he is also a very keen observer. He understands performance and can pinpoint tiniest details of what is required in the performance to make it ‘wow’. When he gets across his point to you, it feel good. I get inspired when he talks.

Ganesh (Hegde) sir is very technical. He is the God of dance and he knows everything. He marks you perfectly and catches hold of your mistakes.

Aur Jacqueline ko dekhke to performance thodi gadbada jaati hai, dhyaan saara Jacqueline pe chala jaata hai. But somehow I have to overcome that and keep my focus on both – my dancing and Jacqueline as well (laughs).

There is no public voting this time. Are you okay with this?

See, I am okay. I am an individual who has come here to learn dancing and perform. And as for the rules and format, the channel is there and so is the BBC team. Most importantly it the same for all. So whether it is good or bad; it’s for everyone making it fair.

Mouni Roy was also a part of Jhalak last year. Did she give you any tips?

Mouni told me one thing. That no one becomes a good dancer overnight. She, herself has danced and learnt everyday. I feel that my journey has just started. Dancing is something that has a lot to do with confidence. Once you know that the stage is yours and you are clear with your steps, the confidence shows up in your dance and that’s what looks amazing. So that will come out gradually.

Salman Yusuff Khan’s participation has lead to a controversy.

I don’t think there should be any controversy surrounding this issue. If Salman is talented and is a good dancer, he, as an individual has the right to be a contestant along with being a choreographer. You can’t be like,”Arre Salman ko kyu laaya, it’s not fair and all that.”

Instead, I feel that Salman will set the bar high and everyone will feel that we need to buck up now. If you take it positively, good things will happen. These controversies will keep happening. For me, it’s good that all the participants this time around are amazing. So I keep feeling that I need to dance better than these people. This gives me a spirit to perform better.

I don’t know how others are treating this, to each its own. I believe in my hard work and my fans. I want to look at my dance, not others’.

Who do you feel from amongst your current lot is your toughest competitor?

Believe me, for me all are competitors and all are tough and I am not being diplomatic now. All are dancing good and everyone’s has their own way of being good. Now, I can’t compare Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor. Both are great dancers and have their own aura and style. Yes, it’s about who learns the technique and also gets better with each performance.

One message for your disheartened fans who will not be able to vote for you.

Keep me in your prayers. Voting is not the only way you can show love. My fans keep in touch with me via social media. I read their messages and seeing the love I get, I am very happy. Ek request yeh hai ki jab bhii aap din mein pray karo toh ek line bhagwan ko boll do kii please Arjun ko acha dance karao. (Signs off)