"It feels like a dream come true!" - Salman Yusuf Khan

After winning the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa Season 6, choreographer Salman is on a high these days, as he believes that sheer hard work and dedication has made way for the desired victory.

Published: Tuesday,Sep 17, 2013 13:15 PM GMT-06:00

Monica Varma

After a long journey of more than three months in one of India's biggest dance reality show, Madhubala Ek Ishq Ek Junoon fame Drashti Dhami and choreographer Salman Yusuf Khan finally were announced as the winner of the show.

On his much deserved victory, Salman expresses his happiness with TellyBuzz...

How does it feel to win the competition?

Jhalak Dikhla Jaa is one of the biggest dance reality shows on Indian television. Winning the competition feels tremendously great. I really had a great time in Jhalak and I feel absolutely blessed with the faith and love everybody has showered on me.

How was your journey with Jhalak Dikhla Jaa?

It may sound clichd but it feels like a dream come true. I always wanted to be famous and it's not only being recognized but also being known for my work. I feel short of words when I think of my journey and I have to say that I'm living my dream. However, this season of Jhalak turned out to be more knowledgeable for me and also helped me to become a better choreographer. Personally, I have definitely groomed as an artist and now I feel more confident than before.

This is the third time you were a choreographer in Jhalak. How has this season been different than the earlier ones?

Jhalak has never been just a competition for me; it has always been a learning process. Having being participated in earlier two seasons and not winning it despite of putting in all my efforts and hard work, somewhere was disappointing. So, I had put all my heart, blood and soul for this season and left everything on God. Even though we were doing well in the competition, I have always worked whole-heartedly without being over-confident.

How has Drashti Dhami been as a student?

Drashti has proved to be the best student so far. Knowing the fact that she had to juggle between her daily soap and the dance rehearsals, Jhalak was a challenge for both of us. Irrespective of the time constraints, we managed to pull it off. Moreover, I'm a difficult person to work with because I don't compromise with my work. No matter how much ever tired she used to be after her 12 hours shift, I made sure that the 4 hours she committed to rehearsals were purely devoted to serious practice.

What had been your strength throughout the show?

My major strength throughout the show has been my dedication and hard work towards my work. I just love the fact that we were much appreciated by all the judges and the audience. So, the work satisfaction makes me feel content and winning the show is an add on!

Who has been your toughest competitor in the show?

My toughest competitor in the show has been Drashti and Salman. As a matter of fact, I have always concentrated on my own growth rather than bothering about others.

Have you made any good friend in this show?

Yes! Thanks to Jhalak that I have got a good friend in Drashti. It was a treat working with her. Now that we both will get busy with our work, I'll really miss her and the entire Jhalak team, as we all had become a family. Nevertheless, I will miss the stage!

Which is your most memorable dance act on Jhalak?

I think my most memorable dance act on Jhalak was our performance in the Grand Finale, the 3D mapping graphics act, whereby we had to match the steps with the graphics on LED and the floor. It was something that nobody has ever attempted on Indian Television before.

What are you going to do with the cash prize?

First of all, I owe a party to my friends and family. Then I would also donate a certain amount from the cash prize and save the rest of them to buy a house in Mumbai.

What are your future plans?

My forthcoming movie Freedom will be releasing early next year. Also, I am choreographing all the songs for Anubhav Sinha's next flick. In addition to this, I'll be going on a world tour very soon, followed by many events, so as of now I have lot many things in my kitty.

In future, if offered a reality show or a daily soap on television, will you be keen on doing it?

I don't know as it depends on the concept of the show. If it excites me then I'm surely thinking about it! As an actor I want to be versatile. I want to try my hands in all the genres right from comedy to action. There are no limits to it. I prefer quality projects. However, I cannot do daily soaps as it's too exhausting and for me daily soaps are like 9 to 5 job, which I'm not comfortable with. And that is the precise reason I left behind my career as a Mechanical Engineer.

Message to your fans?

Monica Varma