The winner of Dance Plus 4 Chetan Salunkhe talks to MUSBA HASHMI about his journey on the show and how he faced multiple rejection and achieved victory
How was the winning moment for you?
Honestly, I never thought of winning Dance Plus 4. While I was standing among the top four contestants I was very nervous and I thought I would be the third or fourth runner-up but when my name was announced as the winner, I felt numb and overwhelmed at the same time. It is one of the best moments of my life. Now, I want to get a tattoo of my Dance Plus 4 trophy on my hand, because it is very special to me.
What kind of rapport do you share with your guru Punit Pathak?
He is like an elder brother to me. He has always helped me throughout my journey. He used to sit with us and chat, stay with us till late night during our practice sessions. I remember the time when I wasn’t able to perform well and he got angry at me and said 'tujhsey nahin ho payega, tu vapas Pune chala ja' and those words of him hit me straight in my heart and I decided to give my all and perform well.
How has your journey been so far?
My journey has been full of ups and downs. I come from a small family in Pune. My parents did not have enough money to send me to dance classes, so I practiced on my own. I had to drop out of my school in between and start working to support my family. I was working as a caterer and a newspaper vendor before getting selected for the show. I used to work during the day and then practice at 1 am. Since my house doesn’t have enough space, I used to practice on the streets every night for four to five hours and then go back to work the next morning. It has been very difficult and challenging but I wanted to achieve something in life and that is what has kept me going.
I have been rejected thrice in Dance Plus but I didn’t lose hope and then in the fourth year, I got selected. Even when I was there in top 12, I never thought that I would be able to stay here for too long but then all my hard work paid off and I won the show.
Was there a moment when you thought of quitting in between?
Not a single time. Even if I had failed again to qualify the audition round this time, I would have come again next year agar mujhe das baar bhi aana padta audition ke liye to main zaroor aata, mujhe yakeen tha main select ho jaunga ek baar.
How did you get the title of Popping Badshah?
I was an underground dancer before I came here and popping is my dance form. Back then, I had a friend who was a die-hard fan of Shah Rukh Khan and once he was watching Badshah and he randomly gave me that name. Since then, everyone on the sets call me with this name.
Who is your inspiration?
I had no one who I can look up to for dance, I learned everything by myself but I was a fan of Japan’s Poppin Ron’s dance and I watched his YouTube videos.
What are your future plans?
I want to buy a new house for my family, it is my priority and I haven’t decided anything for my career yet. But if got a chance to be a part of any other dance reality show, I would love to do so.
