Written by Sana Farzeen | Mumbai | Published: February 19, 2018 7:06 pm Dance India Dance 6 winner Sanket Gaonkar talks about his victory.
Popular dance reality show Dance India Dance pulled the curtains down on its sixth season last night. The three hour long gala affair reached the climax when 20-year old Sanket Gaonkar from Karnataka’s small town of Ankola was announced as the winner. The show was judged my Marzi Pestonji, Mini Pradhan and Mudassar Khan, while Mithun Chakraborty once again played the Grand Master. In an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com, Sanket shared with a smile, “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to win. But more than becoming the champion, I am happy to have managed to find a place in this grand show. Trust me, I still can’t believe that I won.”
Not many know but the young dancer already had a winner laurel to his credit. He had won Telugu dance show ETV Telugu’s Dhee Jodi, last year. Saying that the experience he gained in the regional show helped him, Sanket averred, “It not only boosted my confidence but gave me an insight about my talent, my strength and weaknesses. Since that show was on air for about a year, it taught me how to perform and present my dance on stage.”
A self trained dancer, the Karnataka boy also had a warm story to share from his childhood. “I used to train under my uncle, who was a dancer. From the age of eight, I would be with him and follow his steps. He was my sole inspiration and teacher. Unfortunately, I lost him in a car accident and from then I have been dancing to keep his passion alive. My family also says that he left his dreams for me to complete. I would watch videos on YouTube and practice for hours on the beach near my home,” he said getting a little emotional.
Ankola boy Sanket Gaonkar emerges victorious on Zee TV’s Dance India Dance Season 6.
While his family initially was against his dance and wanted him to focus on his studies, his win in Dhee Jodi changed things for Sanket. “They realised this is my life and have been wholeheartedly backing me from then. I was all the more confident in DID as I knew I had my family by my side.”
A fan of judge Mudassar, the young star has his plans set for the future. “I will soon shift base to Mumbai and train myself more. My ultimate goal is to make my mark as a profound choreographer in Bollywood,” Sanket concluded with a smile.
The dance prodigy received the trophy of the ultimate dance superstar along with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. Sachin Sharma and Piyush Gurbhele, who were announced as the first and second runners-up respectively, were also awarded with cash prizes to celebrate their journey and achievements on the show. Dance India Dance 6 was hosted by Amruta Khanvilkar and Sahil Khattar.
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