Making all the right moves

Gurnaaz Kaur

His journey to fame began in 2009 with Dance India Dance’s premiere show. That’s where his hobby first turned into a passion and later into a profession. The reality show was such a kick for him that he went on to participate in all the possible reality TV shows for five years. Meet Prince Gupta, who credits his popularity to dance reality shows that eventually made him a household name.

“I used to pursue dance just as a hobby. As I got into college, I started to learn dance everyday for two hours and that was all about it. One day there was an announcement about the auditions for DID. Just like any other youngster, I thought of giving it a shot. Getting selected was not just sheer luck, but a game-changer for me,” says Prince.

Show time

It was just the beginning. “One after the other, I kept doing reality shows. I think I must have done 17 such shows. From pursuing commerce to becoming a choreographer, it seems like a dream in which all I’ve done is dance and dance a lot,” he quips.

Dance reality shows were followed by an acting assignment with the ‘Gods of dancing’ in the movie ABCD, which was then followed by an offer to assist choreographer Ahmed Khan. That’s quite like a direct entry into Bollywood. “It has been a great journey so far. While the shows changed my life, I also realised that dance was my true calling. By the time it was my last reality show, I got a chance to act. I had no plans to act then nor do I have now. ABCD was about promoting dance, it was about encouraging people to wear their dancing shoes and enjoy the act,” he shares.

Luck factor

Prince says he has been quite lucky since there has been never a time when he had to think what now? “The movie was to show my respect to my mentor and the art, but it opened another door for me. From there, I got the offer to assist Ahmad sir,” he says.

Having worked with superstars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, Prince wants to break the stereotypes about these stars. “Most people think these stars and many others are very pricey, full of attitude, unapproachable and what not. The truth is they are very friendly and warm. They have no airs about themselves,” Prince assures.

Award time

Prince has recently won an award for the best choreographer for a Gujarati film. This is his second in a row. Prince says it’s not a difficult deal to make a place in the industry. “It’s all in the mind. One has to have a plan and more importantly stick to it,” he smiles.

He has also opened the Prince Dance Company back home in Gujarat where he regularly takes classes. He wants to make a difference in the dance industry and with the help of Remo D’Souza, Terence Lewis and Tiger Shroff, has already made a world record for organising the largest free dance camp for students. Great going!

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