Faisal Khan has won the 8th season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa on Colors along with partner Vaishnavi Patil and choreographer Vivek. The young actor became a household name when he depicted the childhood years of Maharana Pratap in Sony’s series on the king of Mewar so much so that the channel slowed down the pace of the series and took a long time in introducing the adult Pratap. A product of reality television, Faisal has earlier appeared in dance-based reality shows like Dance Ke Superstars and Dance India Dance. In Jhalak he withstood the strong competition put by Shamita Shetty in the finale.
Edited excerpts:
How are you feeling after winning the title?
I feel great and excited. I think my hard work and Allah’s will is the reason that I am here.
Tell us about your journey in the series
The experience was very good. In the third week we had some negative comments and scores were not good which made me nervous but with Allah’s grace things turned out in favour of us and we are here.
How was it performing before ace dancers like Shahid Kapur, Ganesh Acharya and Malaika Arora?
I have learned so much in this show while working with supportive judges. I remember the incident when Ganesh sir applauded me by standing on a table. That was a very touching moment for me. Malaika (Arora) ma’am told me that her sons are huge fans of mine.
What was your family's reaction to your grand victory?
My mother has deep confidence in me and both my parents are very proud of me.
With very basic training of dance in your formative years, how did you manage practising for big dance shows?
I think hurdles were there, but it’s about how you come out of them with your hard work and dedication.
Who is your ideal in life?
My dance teacher Shrikanth Ahire, who was there with me at every stage.
Which dance form is closest to your heart?
I like dance as a medium but as I do Hip-Hop, it’s always closest to my heart and I want to learn every nuance of it.
How do you balance your studies with dance?
We used to practice around 4 to 6 hours daily and after that I had time reserved for studies. I don’t compromise on my studies and even on Maharana Pratap’s shoot in Gujarat I had a tutor to teach me after pack-up. I cleared the higher secondary board last year with full dedication.
You have already bought a house in Mumbai for your family. What are your plans with the winning amount?
I don’t want anything special for me as I have everything in my life. As for the prize money, it’s up to the parents what they do with it as I have given it to them.
Any plans after this?
I don’t have any project to share with you right now and I have put it on the will of the almighty.
