Put on your dancing shoes as News Karnataka takes you on the journey of a young boy with a passion for dancing as he made his way from a small city with little tradition of contemporary dance forms, to the city of dreams, and became one among the most recognized choreographers and dancers of Bollywood.
Sushant Pujari was born and brought up in Mumbai. His family though, originally hailed from Udupi district in Karnataka. With an immense passion for dance, his career choice was a given, and he carved out his path to success with determination. Today, he not only has to his name, the credit of being one of the ace choreographers of Bollywood, but has also acted and danced in two movies that made it high on the blockbuster charts- ABCD 1 and 2, directed by one of the best choreographers in Bollywood- Remo D’souza.
32-year-old, Pujari started his career in the year 2003, as a background dancer in the movie ‘Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina’ and exactly eight years later, he was given his first acting break by Remo D’Souza in his movie ABCD 1.The dancing star, Pujari, assisted the ace choreographer for eight long years and has created a niche for himself among filmmakers and celebrities.
Speaking about the struggle that a dancer faces in Bollywood, Sushant said, “For non-actors/dancers, Bollywood is the home of intense struggle, hard work and luck. I believe, there should be a god father or mother in Bollywood. Without one, you cannot reach the pinnacle, as it is very tough in this competitive industry. Apart from this, your luck plays an important role”.
His role model in the industry has been Remo D’souza. Speaking about why he considers him as a role model he said, “Every art requires patience and so does dance. When it comes to dancing and choreography, I have never seen Remo Sir abusing or screaming at anyone while teaching or training. Screaming and abusing is so very prevalent in Bollywood. In such a scenario, while he does correct his dancers, he does so, in a disciplined manner. He has never raised his voice in an abusive manner. I respect that very much”.
Pujari has served as an assistant choreographer for many popular Hindi songs such as Disco Deewane. His journey includes having taught dance steps to the versatile Varun Dhawan as well. His choreography experience also includes teaching Arjun Rampal stage choreography and training Hrithik Roshan during the IPL for a fusion song.
Earlier, he was a part of the dance reality show Jhalak Dhikhla Jaa (as the choreographer of TV actress Shweta Tiwari); currently Pujari is working in a program called ‘Merchants of Bollywood’ with choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant.
On being asked about the profession of dance itself and whether or not it is a sub-standard profession, as considered by some, he said, “Yes it is a challenging profession and is limited by age, as after 35 or 40 years, dancers cannot perform like a 25-year-old. Also people prefer learning from young and vibrant dancers”, he said but also added that dance is an art and it can never be a substandard profession. He suggested that an alternative career which can be carried on side by side as a solution to the age conundrum of the dancing profession.
The journey is never easy. There is a whole lot of competition in the profession. “There are nearly 4000 dancers in the Bollywood, all the dancers first have to get registered with the Cine Dancers Association. The year 2003 was relatively easy, Membership was Rs 1 Lakh, whereas today the membership cost has become dearer at Rs 4 Lakh”, he said reminiscing about the challenging days of his journey.
Speaking to News Karnataka about his current work and his future prospects he said that right now, he is giving auditions at several places and is focusing on his acting career. Besides, currently he is working with the Indian dancing awards. He is also in talks with a few movie directors, he added. “After 10-12 years of struggle in the profession, I got my first break into acting; It will take me at least two-three years to establish my acting career,” he said.
In conclusion, while speaking about his native place, Udupi, Sushant said that he loves travelling to the serene beaches of Udupi and visiting the Krishna mutt in the city on his arrival in the district is always a must for him.
Kudos to this young man, who has made Karnataka proud in a large way and made a mark in Bollywood, specifically the dance industry. News Karnataka wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
About the Author:
Cinderella Daryani works as a special correspondent with News Karnataka. Having immense experience working with several media houses, her love for journalism, she believes, drives her to fulfill her goals. She is passionate about writing and her interest to interview celebrities, politicians and corporate personalities and others is attributed to this passion.
