Darsheel: I do not want leniency from judges

Child actor Darsheel Safari, who is all set to shake a leg in the fifth season of the dance show 'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa', says he would not want any leniency from judges for being the youngest contestant.

"There is no age for dancing, be it old or a kid. It will be good if there is a fair game. It should not be like they are lenient towards me. I don't want it like that. I will do hard work," Darsheel told PTI.

Best known for his role of a dyslexic child -'Ishaan' in Aamir Khan's movie "Taare Zameen Par", Darsheel, 16, however, feels that no matter who his competitors are the winning streak is important.

"It is important to win. I would be happy if I win and if I don't I would feel a bit bad. But I am going to really work hard and ensure I come in the top-three slot," he said. "I wanted to come here because I love dancing. It is my second love after acting.
'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa' is the best platform to showcase your talent. I want to show the audience that apart from acting, I can also dance," he added.

Darsheel learnt dancing at the age of five from Shiamak Davar's academy and continued till he was 10. "Hip hop is my favourite genre. I want to learn more dance forms like Salsa and others...I don't know that, here I can learn, practice and dance," he said.

The actor will be seen alongside contestants like Sri Lankan cricketer Sananth Jayasuriya, Bollywood actress Isha Sharvani, Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan, ghazal singer Talat Aziz, standup comedian Bharti Singh, television serial 'Ballika Vadhu' lead actress Pratyusha Banerjee and others.

"I have heard about all (other contestants) of them...all are known personalities. It would be great to share screen space with them. Everyone out there is my competitor. I just want to prove that I can dance. I want to make an impression on the show and on the judges," he said.

The show is judged by filmmaker Karan Johar, actress Madhuri Dixit and ace choreographer Remo D'Souza. PTI