Bengaluru, KARNATAKA / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Salman Yusuff Khan, who was in the city as a judge for the MTV Campus Diaries auditions, opens up about his love for dance and Bengaluru

Salman Yusuff Khan who won the dance reality show Dance India Dance Season 1. made his debut as an actor with the movie, ABCD, directed by Remo D’Souza. In an interview with MetroPlus, he talks about what keeps his passion for dance ticking. Excerpts.

You are regarded as one of the best dancers in the country today. How has the journey been?

It has been amazing. I feel blessed to be an artiste. The love for my work and affection showered by the people is what has kept me going. Dance as a profession didn’t have the respect or importance six years ago as it gets today.

There was a period when I was working continuously for three months, without a day’s break. It was hectic, yet I enjoyed it. When you do something you love, it doesn’t feel like work.

How has the transition from dance to cinema been?

Mumbai has treated me well. I started my career here and the support and encouragement that I’ve received has been enormous and has helped me move forward. I had no uncertainty. I knew this is what I had to do. My only struggle was in Bengaluru when I had to complete my engineering. After that, I started exploring different fields, be it dance, movies or television. It hasn’t been effortless, but it hasn’t been difficult either.

What has the response been for the MTV Campus Diaries auditions in Bengaluru?

I loved the crowd. The energy and enthusiasm shown by the youth here is amazing. Though Mumbai has made me the person I am today, Bengaluru will always be special to me. Back in my time, there was quite a lot of stage fear and we weren’t too professional. I’m astounded by the professionalism shown by the youth here. The confidence shown and the effort they put in their work is inspiring.

I want to thank Amazon and MTV Campus Diaries for giving me the opportunity to experience the beautiful variations in all the four cities in which the auditions took place.

It has been difficult to select the best among the participants. I know I’ve broken many hearts but I want them to know this is not the end, but just another phase and it will help them better themselves.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Mythili S. Bhat / Bengaluru – January 30th, 2016