When choreographer Neerav Bavlecha chose to be a permanent judge of dance reality show D4 Dance two years ago, he hardly felt it would be a turning point in his life. He was not aware of the audience of Kerala and the language. However, none of these has been hurdles in his journey so far. His dancing skills and, of course, charisma earned him a good fan base within a short period.
Recently, Neerav was conferred the Vayalar Ramavarma Yuva Prathibha Puraskar instituted by the Vayalar Ramavarma Samskarika Vedi for his dancing prowess. “It was an unexpected award. However, I definitely feel honoured. The entire credit goes to the audience of Kerala, Mazhavil Manorama channel, and my show producer Yamuna ji, who provided me with an opportunity,” says Neerav, who believes that artistes are god-gifted. “What could be better than receiving an award from ‘God’s Own Country’, where the classical art form is considered a form of God,” he says.
D4 Dance was a big twist in Neerav's life. It widened his world and gave him some friends for life. “For me, the platform is like a family. It has been a good journey with them all, especially with Priya ji and Prasanna Master. We have become good friends, and I think that reflects on thescreen,”says Neerav.
Was he afraid to venture into Malayalam television industry? “I wasn't. I knew the audience would be different. It was popular set designer Shyam Bhatia who suggested my name to Yamuna ji. When they told me about the show, I agreed to do it,” recalls Neerav. “I am grateful to all those who believed in me. First of all, I am not a famous person. I don’t belong to this place and can't speak Malayalam. I am thankful to the people of Kerala for accepting me the way I am. Now, I can speak Malayalam a little bit. I can utter simple words such as Namaskaram. It is a difficult language,” he chuckles.
Neerav believes that this dance show has been a turning point for many others. “A dancer’s life is not very easy. This show gave aspiring dancers a hope that they could make dance a career. Besides, it made Malayali audience aware of new dance forms such as jazz, hip-hop and contemporary, other than the classical forms,” he says. “Whatever knowledge I have about Western dance, I learnt from my guru Terence Lewis. Until joining his academy, I was more into Bollywood style of dancing.”
Neerav says he doesn’t judge contestants. “For me, it is about directing them to the right path,” says Neerav, who created a bond with Kerala over the time. “I like the greenery and beaches. I have been to the backwaters in Alappuzha and a lot of temples here. Recently, I visited the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Now, I want to go to Munnar and Wayanad.” Like his onscreen persona, is Neerav a quiet person off screen? “No. I do talk a lot. I like doing adventure stuff. I want to make myself busy all the time,” he says. A major chunk of his fan base comprises women. Neerav gets a lot of messages online. “I am not very active on social media. If I meet them in person, I will definitely acknowledge their respect for me. People are keen to know about my marriage. For me, marriage is a great responsibility. I am not mentally ready for getting into a relationship,” says Neerav whom Mollywood is calling.
“I started my career acting in television. But, I was not very passionate about that then. I have acted in small roles in a few serials and video songs when I was in Mumbai,” says Neerav. “I am getting calls from movies. I am looking for something which I would be comfortable doing and could connect to people's heart. I watch a lot of movies and I like movies with unpredictable sequences. There are a few projects in the talk. Hopefully, Malayalis will see me in a different role altogether this year,” he signs off.
