Nach Baliye 8 winners Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya, who are also lovingly known as Divek by their fans, are said to be the most romantic jodi of the season. We got chatting with the dancing duo soon after their big win about their best moments from the show and their toughest challenges too.
Q. Congratulations to you both. Did you see the Nach Baliye 8 win coming?
Divyanka Tripathi: We had kept our expectations low because sometimes it hurts when you expect and it doesn’t go accordingly.
Vivek Dahiya: We kept our hopes high and expectation low. You can hope for something, but you should never expect too much. We had no idea what the voting numbers were, as they were kept away from us all through. All we knew was that we need to perform and after that it will be the audience who will take the decision.
Q. How did you manage your TV serial shoots and dance rehearsals along with the Nach Baliye shoot?
Divyanka Tripathi: It was very tough. While doing Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, of course I had to give it my best. Ishita’s character was not compromised with. The show was going full on and maximum scenes had me in it, so I didn’t get any time off from Mohabbatein. And when it came to dance rehearsals, I used to be so exhausted by the time I reached for rehearsals in the evening, mentally and well as physically. Yet I used to prep myself by saying ‘no, this is a new start, so you have to focus’.
We had only two to three hours to rehearse, while some other contestants had the privilege to practice for eight to nine hours. Most of the couples had that. They would rehearse for hours and hours and I used to feel ‘oh god! Only if I had that privilege’. So since I didn’t have it, I kept myself focused and in those few hours I used to try my best to learn and practice as much as possible, without taking a break because I couldn’t afford to waste any time.
And obviously we didn’t get enough sleep in the past four months. So after a long time today I slept properly.
Q. What was your most memorable moment from the dance show?
Divyanka Tripathi: When Vivek wrote me this really sweet love letter. It was a complete surprise. You know every woman wants to feel that special. Little little things that become really big in your life, that make your simple life into a fairy tale. And Vivek gives me those pleasures in life, doing these little things for me.
I was always nervous, he was the one always giving me strength. I don’t know how I would have managed to come this far. I used to get really nervous. He was there holding me together.
Vivek Dahiya: I think everyday spending time with her rehearsing, holding her hand when she used to get nervous before the comments.
Q. Your most fun song to perform to?
Vivek Dahiya: I think Tune Mari Entry was a teen ka tadka, where you had to bring in your choreographer and dance together. We had a lot of fun because I was in my own element and she was in her character.
Divyanka Tripathi: I also loved Saree Ke Fall Sa. Vivek was robotic, so he couldn’t enjoy much because he had to be stiff. But I enjoyed it because I went all out doing all the Bollywood moves. I had so much fun doing that.
Q. ...and your most difficult performance?
Vivek Dahiya: Malhari! I fell three-four times while rehearsing. We were doing it with V company and they make you do flips in the air. I had to land at a particular point and could not just jump down and land anywhere. So I had to land on a guy lying down on the floor, so my legs had to be around him. So that timing and while I was up in the air, I used to get very nervous. So every time I used to get nervous, I used to land abruptly somewhere else and end up hurting myself. But then it was her (Divyanka) who whispered in my ear that you stop thinking and stop fearing that you will not land on him. Stop having those thoughts just try jumping confidently and that’s what I did and I was fine. So it’s always in your mind you know. About the injures also, it’s all in your head.
Divyanka Tripathi: Also he injured himself very badly during the performance. Because of those moves his knee pad got displaced and he landed on the floor on his knee. And he hurt himself very very badly. In fact both the knees where gone for at least two weeks. Nobody knew, we never told anybody, but for two weeks for him to do any step was so difficult. He was continuously on physiotherapy.
Q. Any message for your fans?
Divyanka Tripathi: Our fans showed us immense love and that kept us going. We feel blessed. This is something that cannot be bought, this is something that you can’t try to achieve. We never tried for it. We just kept working hard and our focus has always been our work. I have completed twelve years in the industry and I have just tried to give my best and do good work. Thankfully, it has been noticed. Even when Vivek came into the industry people loved him. We are just blessed that we did our job and the audience did their job, to love us.
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