JOIN USCelebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, popularly known as the ‘Energy Chef of India’, is burning the dance floor with his energetic moves in the ninth season of dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.
On his experience of turning dancer for the show, Sokhi says that all this while he has been spreading smiles through his cooking. “And now, I am telling my audience how to burn calories by dancing. Like cooking, dance is also a good way to de-stress oneself, so it helps in living a healthy life. All this is in vested interest,” he laughs.
The chef, who is known for fusing Indian food with international cuisines, is loved by the audience for making cooking appear to be a fun exercise with his trademark style namak shamak (which he does while adding salt to the dishes). So, will he be introducing other such steps on the show? “Oh yes!” exclaims Sokhi, and adds, “Namak-shamak has become my signature step. But I have been learning new steps from my choreographers which my audience will be able to copy and do while cooking in their kitchens.”
However, he confesses that it was only after participating in the show he realised that dancing is no cakewalk. “Punjabis are fun loving people who like to dance. So while I also dance, I had no idea about the technicalities involved. It was only when I was asked to exercise and strengthen my calf muscles before I was taught rock n roll steps, I realised that it’s not easy to be a dancer today, and that each profession has its own challenges,” he tells Metrolife.
Sokhi who is the second chef to participate in the show after chef Sanjeev Kapoor says that the bars have been raised since the time Kapoor participated. “That was the show’s first season and over the years things have changed. I see my co-contestants and realise that it’s not only about dancing. So you will also see me going beyond just dance,” he says.
“But the most important thing,” he says, “is to enjoy the moment”. “I just hope to dance it all out and live up to my choreographer’s expectations and surprise my audience,” he says.