Manik Paul, who is known for his aerial acts, has been stunning the judges and audiences with his performances on India’s Got Talent. However, he tells us that he hasn’t received any formal training, and his only aspiration growing up was to join the Army. Speaking about his journey in dance, Manik recounts, “My father died in a terrorist attack and even when I was in school, I wanted to avenge his death. I started training in running, gymnastics, football and other physical tasks.
People in my village nicknamed me ‘Commando’. I wasn’t very good at my studies, but did extremely well in extracurricular activities. I did not have money to train in aerial acts back home in Kolkata, so I learnt by watching videos on the Internet.” It was later, when Manik came to Mumbai, that he practised dance and malkhamb.
The artiste tells us that since his dream to meet choreographer Remo D’Souza came true, he isn’t bothered about winning the title. He reminisces, “Remo sir is like God to me. I tried to meet him once at his office in Mumbai, but wasn’t allowed entry. When I found out he was coming on IGT, I rehearsed extra hard. When Remo sir gave me a standing ovation, I felt like I have already won the show and I broke down. Now who wins, it doesn’t matter. I will give it my best shot.”
The Beat Breakers who also competed in IGT last season are back as wild cards this year. The troupe aims to create history on the show this time around. Mithun says, “Our group is made up of poor students from villages in Maharashtra. Last season, we were in the top four. We received encouraging words for our acts, but we didn’t win. This season, we want to change that.” Speaking about their toughest competition this season, Mithun says, “According to me, it’s XIX Dance Group.” Mithun tells us that the group is highly inspired by Tiger Shroff, who they believe “is an inspiration for our generation”.
The group has been facing a few problems, but they are staying strong. Mithun says, “We are rehearsing extremely hard, but we cannot afford the kind of food that our team members require on a daily basis. We also need massages regularly, but haven’t been able to do much about it. However, we don’t let it affect us.”
