I am blessed to have performed for a legend,” says Yuvraaj Jayakumar about his Rudra Tandavam dance sequence in the Rajinikant starrer Kochadaiiyaan.
The dancer is at a loss for words when asked to describe his emotions about the film. Born and brought up in Trichy with a degree in Multimedia Engineering from JJ College, Yuvraaj says dancing was a “habit and not a choice.” A man of few words, over the course of the conversation, he keeps repeating three words: “dance, style and grace.”
And undoubtedly, Yuvraaj brings that into his dance techniques, “I oriented towards dancing as a child. My mother ran a school for extracurricular activities which eventually pushed me to excel in fine arts.”
Yuvraaj grew up learning Bharatnatyam initially, after which he trained in and now teaches seven styles of dancing. From jazz, salsa, hip-hop to contemporary, he is professionally skilled and takes interest in the newer dance forms. No wonder he was signed on for Kochadaiiyaan. “It was dance master Vijay Shivshankar who called and informed me about it. My joy knew no bounds and as a fan of Rajini Sir, it will be the biggest achievement of my life.”
Speaking about the dance sequence that has garnered widespread attention, he says that he trained the hardest to get the piece right and do justice to the role. “Once we finished filming, the director gave a pat on my back and congratulated me. Now when I see the sequence onscreen I am astonished with how it has come out,” recalls Yuvraaj.
About debuting on the silver screen with such an immense piece of work, he says, “I am proud and have been waiting for the movie to release ever since we finished shooting, but this time not as a fan.”
Yuvraaj who runs his school of dance, Rhythmic Beat Dance Court, is interested in acting as well. “Dancing is a habit more than a passion I would say,” explains this Kalai Ilamani award winner. He is currently a participant of the reality dance competition Jodi No:1 on Star Vijay where he is gaining immense popularity. Going back to Kochadaiiyaan, he says that he can’t wait to meet the superstar, “I am just waiting to meet him and get a pat on my back, what more can one want in life,” he says with pride.
