Idon’t understand how to describe my journey when people ask me about it. I’ve always believed that if you are passionate about something, you will find ways to get better at it. I’m at a different destination every time someone asks me about my journey and giving a definite answer gets a bit tricky,” says choreographer-actor Dharmesh Yelande, who is all set to judge a dance-based reality show.

Right from my early days of struggle, I learned from my failures and worked on my skills instead of waiting for success to happen. Main apni life mein bahut baar haara hoon and honestly, I have no qualms about it. I believe that every time I’ve failed, I’ve learned something new and that has helped shape my career. My struggles and failures kept me focused.

From participating in dance-based reality shows, mentoring artists on shows to acting in dance-based movies, and being a judge on Dance Deewane Season 3, it has been a rollercoaster ride. However, Remo sir and every other mentor in my journey has been my source of inspiration. Having spent 10-12 years in this industry, I know the amount of dedication and hard work that goes into choreographing a song.

After I finished shooting for Street Dancer 3, I decided to spend some time in Goa but later, I got stuck there. I was at a friend’s cottage and my luggage was at my hotel. So, when the Coronavirus lockdown was announced, I was left with just a single pair of clothes. My friend gave me another pair. Living with the bare minimum, cooking for myself, giving myself a haircut, and doing all chores on my own took me back to my chawl days and I’d never felt this good. Staying alone helped me to reconnect better with myself.

The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown saw a rise in online dance workshops and also allowed us to introspect about our skills. It made dancers and choreographers understand the importance of upgrading their skills and learning and experimenting with new dance forms as a way to be relevant at any given point.