The award is especially meaningful for Vijay as it continues a family legacy. “My father had won two National Awards (Anil Ganguly received Best Story for Kora Kagaz and Best Feature Film in Hindi for Tapasya). This is the third National Award coming into our home. It’s a fantastic feeling,” he adds.

Ironically, Vijay’s journey into dance began almost by accident. “Growing up, I was never interested in dancing. I would only perform during Durga Puja celebrations. In 1999, just for fun, I enrolled in a Shiamak Davar dance class. I realized I really enjoyed it, and the rest is history,” he shares.

Looking back at Aaj Ki Raat, Vijay says he had hoped the song would connect with audiences but never imagined it would become one of the year’s biggest party anthems. “We knew we had done a good job, but had no idea it would connect with so many people. We simply did our job and hoped it worked. Everyone, from children to older people, connected with it.”

He is also quick to credit Tamannaah Bhatia for bringing the choreography to life. “Tamannaah definitely played a huge role because, ultimately, what people see is the performer.”

His mother, Rajani Ganguly’s dance reel on his song Shararat from Dhurandhar recently won hearts online. Vijay says the family never expected it to go viral. “I don’t share too many reels, but this one was special. Mumma loves dancing and she’s a very good dancer. We always feel people should see her dance. Whenever one of my songs becomes a hit or excites her, we ask her to dance and we post it. It’s just for fun. It’s not social media content that we expect will go viral. It’s just love.”