As the third edition of DID Super Moms goes on air immediately on completion of DID Li’l Masters on Zee TV, dancer-choreographer-director Remo D’Souza stays back as one of the three judges in what would be his seventh turn as a judge across the various formats of Dance India Dance.
This must be the first time you are doing back-to-back seasons of Dance India Dance.
Yes. DID Li’l Masters khatam hotey hi DID Super Moms ka kaam chalu ho gaya. Both (spin-off formats) I am doing for the first time. (Remo has judged the main DID for three seasons and two seasons of other spin-off formats)
Why is the channel bringing two dance programmes one after another?
I was so excited on getting the offer that I didn’t even ask. I think it is because DID Li’l Masters did so well. The audience is interested in dance.
You formed a special bond with the five-year-old Adhyashree Upadhyay.
She calls me Papa, I call her beti. It is like a father-daughter relationship. I want the bond to continue lifelong. She is from Assam. She has to go back for schooling. I have told her when she wants to take her dance career forward I will be with her. She is chulbuli and is an amazing performer. I connected with her at the audition itself.
What about your sons?
They are 20 and 18. Bade ho gaye hai. Unhe ma baap ki zaroorat nahin, udne lagey hai (laughs). They are studying in London. One is in Class XII, the other is studying films. One is interested behind the camera and another in front of the camera.
DID Li’l Masters just ended with nine-year-old Nobojit Narzary of Assam winning the title. Share your impressions of the children who made it to the final.
Nobojit was the underdog. In the beginning, we never thought he would come in the top five. In contrast, the day Adhyashree came, we knew she would. And that’s what happened (she came second runner-up). She performed amazingly through the weeks. Appun (Pegu, the first runner-up) is a fighter. She has a heart problem yet the way she dances is amazing. Rishita (Tanti, from Bengal) is very cute. We call her the heroine of DID. Sagar (Varpe) from Maharashtra is a good dancer, very sharp, professional and dedicated to dancing.
DID Super Moms has just started. How many contestants have you chosen?
We have chosen the top 12. It is amazing to see moms dancing.
One of the contestants seems to be six months pregnant!
Yes, Smriti Arora. We were shocked. Then she said she is completely normal. She knew how to move without harming the baby. I have seen pregnant ladies doing workouts, even lifting weights. I think it depends on the person. Those who get complications, doctors tell them to follow restrictions. I am not saying sab hi kar sakte hai. But it’s good for mother and baby if one can.
What about the other participants?
There are two types of mothers who have come — some have learnt how to dance and some have not but still dance amazingly.
You have two actresses as fellow judges.
Yes, I am very lucky. Urmila (Matondkar) and I go back a long way. My first film as a background dancer was Rangeela (in which Urmila played the female lead). I am there in the first song Rangeela re. So that is a beautiful connection. I am glad and proud that I am sitting next to her in this show. Then we have Bhagyashree. When Maine Pyar Kiya released, I used to bunk school to see the film god knows how many times. So it’s an exciting panel.
Bhagyashree must be a debutante as a TV show judge.
The way she is conducting herself on the show is brilliant. I may not have worked with Bhagyashree but I have met her at film premeres and I know her son Abhimanyu and husband Himalaya (Dassani) very well. So it’s not like I didn’t know her at all. We don’t have to make any extra effort to bond.
Remo D’Souza with wife Lizelle on DID Li’l Masters
You and your wife Lizelle pull each other’s legs on Insta reels. Did this start on TV (on Dance+, another show he judges) and go on to Instagram or was it the other way round?
We used to do all this masti. Raghav (Juyal, the anchor of Dance+) knew as he is family and keeps coming home. He started it on my other show.
Is Lizelle interested in dance or dance shows?
No. She is not even interested in making reels. (Laughs) I am the one who forces her to do all that stuff. She handles my work, my company, my house, my kids… All this banter, I make her do. Poor Lizelle!
What comes next from you?
I am working on two films and two web series. Everything is going on the floor this year. ABCD3 will happen next year. There’s something else I am working on.
Will that also be a dance film?
No. Because of ABCD, people think I only like dance films. But I have already ventured out of my comfort zone with F.A.L.T.U, then A Flying Jatt, which was a comedy and an action drama in Race3.
You gave your fans quite a scare (with a serious heart ailment for which he was hospitalised).
I also got a big scare myself (laughs). But now everything is back to normal. I am back to my workouts. My doctor has allowed me to do everything that I used to do. Just a few things like diet I have to take care of.