When you hear any song from the Disco days, the first actor that comes to your mind is Mithunda. His song ‘I am a Disco Dancer’ was and is a super hit; and his dance steps in the song are admired till date. He certainly has a passion for dance and in his initial days it’s due to this passion of his, he survived this big, bad world. But as they say, hard work and honesty is always rewarded and since then there was no looking back for him. He became the Super Star and has given many a Dancing Stars of India a platform to showcase their talent. He is the grand master of India’s most popular dance reality show, Dance India Dance on Zee TV and people have loved him in this avatar too. Mithun Chakraborty shares his journey of DID, gives his views on TV and lots more in this exclusive interview with GR8!

What had made you nod a yes to be a part of Dance India Dance?

Hmm… the show Dance India Dance is about dancing and it gives a platform to the common man like me where he can showcase his talent to the entire world.

You have successfully been an integral part of DID, how has your journey been till now?

Fantastic, it has really been an overwhelming experience and I am proud to be a part of this show. All of us in the DID team give our 100% to the show. Before every episode we sit together, discuss and then go on the sets for the shoot. It’s been an amazing journey; it’s the result of the hard work and input of all of us. No one can say that this show is a success just because of me, as we work hand in gloves. This show is not one man’s baby, Mithun or Geeta or Jay alone haven’t made it successful, it’s the hard work of the entire team.

If given a chance, will you like to anchor a show?

Hmm… basically I am a faithful servant (smiles) and as far as anchoring DID is concerned; I would say that yes I would like to do a stint. I can’t talk about doing other shows right now as you never know what happens in future.

What according to you has bonded the viewers with DID?

The biggest USP of DID is that it gives you a national platform to prove yourself, makes you from a Nobody to Somebody. I was struggling in my initial days in Bombay, I never had a platform like DID to showcase my talent. I used to dance at parties and events for my survival, as my lunch and dinner’s issue used to get solved. Also, in this way the concerned and known people would at least know who Mithun is and that he is talented. DID is an integral part of my life, my emotions are behind this show. 167 countries watch this show and bond with its honesty, its strength and its power to make the Dancing Stars. We never call them contestants or participants; we call all of them dancing stars. This is the Magic of DID.

Remo & Terence were missing from DID Couples, do you think that anyone person missing can affect the viewership?

I cannot say anything on that but what I can surely say is that this show is not about Mithun, Remo, Terence, Geeta, Jay or anyone else but Dance. People love DID for the talent it showcases. I can assure you only that DID is the same and still will deliver talented performances from the Dancing Stars.

How is TV different from Bollywood?

TV was always called the small screen but today the Big screen is gasping. Today the film really has to be big to grab the attention of the people. Bollywood is trying hard to keep up with the fast pace and high standard.

If you get a good script, will you be comfortable doing a TV serial?

I am still working in films, both Bollywood and Bengali movies. I have been doing Dance Bangla Dance (Bengali version of DID) too. With so much work, I have one hundred something days left. And in these remaining days, I try to squeeze in either one Hindi movie and two Bengali movies or two Hindi movies and one Bengali movie. But again you never know what happens tomorrow, so I prefer living in today and don’t think much about tomorrow.

Are you a TV buff?

No, except sports especially Football.

Which shows do you watch regularly?

I don’t get the time to watch my own show DID due to my shooting schedule, thus I don’t have the time to follow a single show.

Your favourite TV shows over the years have been?

Earlier we never had so many serials and shows. There were more movies and videos. Everyone knows I love MJ and I have grown up watching these videos.

The most adorable Bollywood Star on TV?

Hmm…. It won’t be fair to take any one name because I haven’t seen any shows, so I think I can’t comment on this.

Do you believe television in India has progressed over the years?

Yes, of course.

If you could change one thing on Indian TV, what would it be?

Make the screen bigger…

In one word, Indian Television is…

Too Big. It is growing and will grow bigger.

- Dharmishtha Dagia