Dancing to His Tune

“Now,being a good dancer is essential for any mainstream actor. When I started in films,disco dancing was just being recognised,and I worked hard on my skills,” he reminisces,reclining on a sofa in a Noida studio,dressed in jungle camouflage and ankle-high black boots. “The show selects a deserving dancer from among the common man. Since I have also struggled in life to reach where I am,I feel close to the theme of the show,” he says.

Chakraborty continues to occasionally perform impromptu jigs on stage and at TV shows,inspired by Disco Dancer. “My inspirations have been Elvis Presley and John Travolta. Dancing,for me,is spiritual,” he smiles.

Commonly referred to as Prabhuji in the show for his fatherly advice to participants,Chakraborty says he sometimes finds the show stressful and disturbingly competitive. “They’re so desperate to outdo each other. Some aspirants perform very dangerous moves. I want to put some rules in place,” he says. Apart from reality TV,Chakraborty will be seen a lot more in films this year. In the Imran Khan starrer Luck,which releases in June,he plays a retired major and in Veer,he essays the role of Salman Khan’s father,and chief of a warring clan. “Both are different roles and close to my heart. Salman is like a younger brother to me because his father Salim helped me during my struggling days,” he explains.

As for his son,Mimoh,whose debut Jimmy in 2007,flopped miserably,Chakraborty,describes it as a “battle that he must learn to wage himself”. Like father,like son?