The grand finale of Dance India Dance Li'l Masters Season 2 took place on August 13, in which Om Chhetri, 8, emerged as the first runner up, and the cute little Jeet Das, 8, ranked fifth. A village boy from Assam, Om, was awarded with prize money of R5 lakh, while Jeet Das, from Kolkata, received Rs 1 lakh.
With the trend of kids entering the glam world at such a young age and giving up on essentials such as education, what do these kids achieve and what do they miss out on during their journey? Om and Jeet talk about the same during their visit to the city at Hotel Hometel, Chandigarh, on Tuesday.
Next up for both the boys is yet another competition - DID Dance Ke Super Kids on Zee TV - but this time, they are on the same team. The show is a platform for kids from DID Little Masters
seasons 1 and 2 to compete against each other.
Referring to each other as best friends, Om and Jeet say they share a common love for sleep. "Our training is regressive; we are taught to work on our expressions and improve on our steps, so, sleep comes easy," share Jeet and Om, who are big fans of Hrithik Roshan and Prabhu Deva. And then comes a revelation, "We've been in Mumbai for many months now, so, we had to leave our schools."
To be reality superstars at the age of eight, the eight-year-olds decided to compromise on their education, which is a prime factor for every child's mental and physical growth. "I will have to join a new school now, as studies are as important as dance," says Om, while Jeet adds, "I am very clear about re-joining school. To be well settled in life, I need to be educated first and then a good dancer."
{{/usCountry}}To be reality superstars at the age of eight, the eight-year-olds decided to compromise on their education, which is a prime factor for every child's mental and physical growth. "I will have to join a new school now, as studies are as important as dance," says Om, while Jeet adds, "I am very clear about re-joining school. To be well settled in life, I need to be educated first and then a good dancer."
{{/usCountry}}So, what is it that they have learnt along the way? "Initially, when we became a part of the show, we didn't even know how to change our costumes; our moms used to do that for us. Now, we're quite proficient. Our interaction skills have also been polished, and we have learnt to respect our national language, Hindi," says Jeet. Om, on the other hand, has learnt hairstyles. "I try a new one everyday," he exclaims.
"We will miss Mumbai very much. After the show, when I go back to my village, I will study hard, learn more about dance and return to Mumbai when I'm older. I want to grow up to be like Hrithik Roshan," says Om.