Adgully Exclusive | DID was not supposed to happen for me: Remo D'Souza

Ramesh Gopi happens to be one of the most famous personalities on Indian television. Sorry, global television. But have you heard of him? Let me give you a hint ' you know him, you've seen him that often and that prominently, that you know him. I am certain. Still scratching your scalp? Well, he's famous as Remo D'Souza. Okay, now don't jump up your seats!

But Remo wasn't the same chap you now know him as. His initial time in the industry was not really what you'd call a cakewalk. He got selected by Ahmed Khan to dance for a song in the hugely hit film, Rangeela. Following this, he assisted Ahmed Khan and gradually established a niche for himself in the industry. Remo contributed, through his choreography, in not only the Hindi film industry but other film industries too, mainly Bengali cinema.

Remo's forte is Hip Hop, but he has received formal training in many genres of dance. He studied in Jamnagar, Gujarat. After having been in the industry for many years now, Remo is basking in the limelight as he comes on Dance India Dance (DID) ' an immensely popular dance reality show ' as a judge and also a mentor and trainer.

Remo made self available to do an exclusive for Adgully and was extremely casual and cheerful as we got talking.

"Actually DID was not suppose to happen for me. When they first came to me, I refused. I told them that I was happy with my films and choreography and I don't want to sit and judge anyone. I thought that it will be like a typical reality show and I did not want to do anything that was fake. So they went away and came back again after some time," Remo explained upon seeing our gaping mouths when he revealed that he wasn't interested in being a part of DID.

"When we shot the first episode, I felt it sounds different. And the best thing was that they didn't give us any scripts and just made us sit there and asked us to speak what we felt like. The head of Zee, Ashish, came to me and I refused and then finally the creative team approached and convinced me. If a show is scripted and you try to manipulate the audiences then it doesn't work. It has to be straight from the heart," he continued. We couldn't have imagined DID without Remo, the tough chase by the show's producers to convince him for it was well worth the effort, in the end.

Having been a prominent face on television for sometime now, Remo says that one thing that has changed dramatically is his face-recognition. Everyone notices him as a celebrity now and that is something that never really happened for almost 10 years that he's been in the industry now. "After DID-1 everyone knew me and with DID-2 it has increased even more. When I go out and travel the people's reaction that I get is amazing. There were a few people who came from Lucknow and said there are three boys there who roam as Remo and are my exact duplicate. They have cut their hair like me and dress up like me, and one is a bit fair so roams in the sun to get tanned because I am dark. It's very strange and I never thought that I would reach this level. Because technicians can't think they will be so popular like how actors are. This is a feeling like a celebrity," he confesses.

Many Indian choreographers already have their own dance schools. Shiamak Davar has one, even fellow DID judge, Terence Lewis, runs a dance school. So what are Remo's plans about a dance school? He says that it will take time, but will happen surely. "It will still take time. But I have started a chain of dance classes from Kolkata where the main branch is and all over India there will be small branches. It will still take me three years from now to build my own school. The courses will be for three years and it will be actually graduating from college ' living in hostels, theory and practical. After one passes out from the school that person will be a certified dancer," he explained.

He says DID has given the judges something that they could never dream of. It gave them the responsibility to choose the best and has given contestants a lease of new life. With the show's reach penetrating up to 165 countries, DID proves to be one of the perfect setting for the participants to showcase their talent and gain global recognition.

Remo is humble enough to recognize the fact that DID has helped him become a big brand now. "I have people coming to me from all over the world, just inviting me to be their guest or for a shop opening or something. I find it too weird and feel that they should call actors and not me. It has given something very different and I have never thought that anything as such will ever happen. I always thought I will be a very good choreographer and then turn into a director and make good films but this is a bonus which life and DID has given," Remo acknowledges.

Remo has suddenly spiralled skywards in no time and now enjoys a celebrity status. His early life wasn't particularly easy and he had to struggle in the industry. With the recognition he's getting, it has become extremely easy for Remo to market himself properly now. He said that the same people who'd rejected him on many an occasion earlier in life are now approaching him again.

Sharing his experiences from his life ' from childhood to now ' Remo recalled a lot of instances with nostalgia filling him up. He spoke about being a brilliant student in school and the desire of his teachers for him to take up science and become a scientist to his contribution towards the sports team. But amidst all this, there was a mention of Thriller that, Remo said, changed his life. He'd watched the "King of Pop' Michael Jackson delivering amazing numbers and impossible dance steps and that was when Remo decided that he'd be nothing else but a dancer.

He is currently working on two assignments as a choreographer, namely, Action Replay, starring Aishwarya and Akshay Kumar and the second one being Patiala House starring Akshay Kumar and Anushka Sharma.

He has a deep passion for direction and is working on an assignment called titled "Faltu' as the director. The film stars Jackie Bhagnani, Pooja Gupta, Angad Bedi among others. He also revealed that there is a film in the pipeline that is going to be Bollywood's biggest film and will be on the lines of Gladiatior.

Remo has been made by God for dance and he says that, though clichéd, but dance is what gives him strength. "Be yourself and believe in yourself and be true to your life," he signs off, this being his parting message to everyone.

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