London girl Sophie was an instant hit as an MTV VJ and much talked about for her album numbers ‘babu chail chabila’ and ‘ek Pardesi’ which became chartbusters in 2003. She worked in a few films with the best of directors in Bollywood and now she is proving herself as a dancer par excellence showing her versatility on the dancing floor on Sony’s Jhalak.
Reality show
Though she was offered Jhalak many times in the past, she was always busy with something or the other. ‘‘Apart from paucity of time, I have had two slipped discs. This show is extremely challenging and demanding on the body so I didn’t think I would do it but when the offer came this year I thought if something keeps coming back to you, you must give it a try!,’’ says Sophie. She loves to dance but has not had any professional training in any dance form.
Tough and challenging
Jhalak seventh season has been challenging with participants, all vying with each other, to prove their mettle. ‘‘One should always compete with the best because it pushes you to be better! The experience has been amazing, exhausting, painful and stressful but I take it one day at a time! I have never had so many muscle strains, cuts, bruises on my body but I really want to get to the finals and am working very hard!’’
Choreographer Deepak
All praises for Deepak, the dancer attributes her finesse in dancing to him. ‘‘It’s amazing working with Deepak! He made me realise that although I have rhythm, this show requires technique and so much more! He pushes me, encourages me, scolds me but he has the right to because he wants me to do my best and I love him for that!’’ The duo rehearses for several hours a day and ensures that they perform something new in each episode.
Balancing act
In the initial days of the competition, she was continuing to do her shows and dance but once it became strenuous and the competition got tough, she decided to dedicate herself completely to Jhalak. ‘‘Jhalak is something I will do once in my life. I can still take up a gig now and then because that is my identity, my passion, my primary work! This show is physically exhausting and there is no time to rest!’’
Competing with best
Ask her who all she sees herself competing with in the finale and she says, ‘’I would love to be in the finale but there is a long way to go! All the contestants are brilliant! Shakti is trained, a super dancer, Ashish is lovely, Akshat is a little dhamaka. But this show is unpredictable. Anything can happen. I have come to believe that you cannot predict anything so do your best and leave the rest to judges, audience and God!’’
Latest projects
She has just released her new song Raat akeli hai with Raghav Sachar. ‘‘This is a very special remix wherein sounds have been created vocally and by using everyday items like shoes, zips, bra straps, tassels, glasses. It was so fun and the video is stunning. In fact I performed on the song in Jhalak and it got us a standing ovation from the audience. That felt special... I’m also working on some more new songs and a new film but now my life is all about giving my best to Jhalak!’’
Life so far
Born and brought up in London, Sophie reached India with her mom to pursue her dreams of being a singer and an actor. Getting a foothold in Mumbai was not easy for her who attributes all her success to her mom. ‘‘She is my greatest strength and my manager!’’ Launched by David Dhawan in Shaadi No 1, Sophie says Pyar Ke Side Effects remains her favourite film. ‘‘The journey has been full of ups and downs but I have always been grateful to work with the likes of Inder Kumar, Sanjay Gupta, Vikram Bhatt, Milan Luthria (even if in a cameo) and in the south Prabhu Deva and Mahesh Babu! I still feel I have a long way to go!