Bollywood Couple

Outfits designed by Deepak and Gavin Miguel  (Pics by Sandip)

Bollywood's 'exotic dance couple' dazzle; Cannes celebrates 100 years of Indian Cinema

By Francis Cardozo 

They came. They walked. They captivated.

Bollywood's 'exotic dance couple,' Sandip Soparrkar and Jesse Randhawa, turned on style as they sizzled on the red carpet at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. 

The couple was invited to attend the event as dance ambassadors and graced the red carpet on four occasions. The festival assumes significance as it celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema, even as a number of Bollywood films will be screened during the event. 

“It was indeed a proud moment for us to represent the Indian dance community,” avers Sandip, a well-known Bollywood choreographer, ballroom dancer who recently scooped the dance trend-setter award. 

Jesse is a well-known Indian actress and model. 

Hailing it as a moment of honour, Sandip added: “We were introduced as exotic Indian dance couple.”

In an interview with this writer, Sandip talked about his upcoming films, Cannes, fashion among other things. 

Q: How do you view Cannes festival compared to other such events?

A: Well, Cannes is indeed one of the biggest and most publicized film festivals. The large number of film screenings, pavilions from various countries and the French Riviera add luster to the event. Also scores of celebrities walking the red carpet makes the festival what it is today.The festival is an excellent venue for producers to market their films. Not only that Cannes is a premier international market for first-time flicks. 

What was unique about this year’s Cannes festival?

A: This year Bollywood is in spotlight as Cannes is celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema. There was a large contingent of Indian actors at Cannes and the festival will get a taste of a variety of Bollywood films. It was good to see that the Indian cinema being accorded a warm welcome. All in all it was a quite an amazing experience to share the platform with people of varying backgrounds. 

Proud moment for us: Sandip

Q: Speaking of ballroom dancing, you trained many music divas…how was it working with celebs like Shakira, Beyonce, Britney Spears and Madonna?

A: Working with all music icons was amazing. Each one was different from the other. For instance, Shakira was very punctual. I had her class scheduled at 6 a.m. every day. I used to reach 5-7 minutes early, but by then she was done with her stretches and raring to hit the floor. 

 
Beyoncé is beautiful both as a person and appearance-wise. She is an amazing dancer as well.  You just show her a dance step and she picks it up in no time.  In short, she is a born dancer I must say.

Britney takes her work very seriously. She used to rehearse for 12-14 hours a day as we prepared for her Womanizer video which I choreographed. She had to be reminded about lunch break because she was totally immersed in rehearsals. She is an amazing professional.

Madonna is truly the goddess of all and she is a person I can never forget.  She is an artist with a golden heart. She is as passionate about her work as she is about people in the world.  I believe an artist like her is rare to find and may be you encounter people like her once in a life time. 

"Exotic Indian dance couple."

Q: Who is your favourite fashion designer and why?

A: Undoubtedly Deepak Shah, owner of More Mischief. He is a trend setter in India as far as men’s fashion is concerned. He first dressed me when I represented India at the International Model Contest. Then he designed my clothes for all my TV shows. Moreover, I wore his creations for World Economic Forum, London Dance Festival and now Cannes. I love his creativity and that explains why I have been with him for so long. 

Q: Of late you have been getting a lot of film offers. Can you talk about your upcoming films?

A: I am doing some interesting films. I cannot get into the details, but all I can say is that my upcoming films are Jhoom Zindagi Jhoom, Cyclone and one more film. It has been a fantastic experience working with some great people. It is pertinent to note that all these are dance based films. So I am really excited and looking forward to them.