*Dumdar,Dhamakedar,Dhasu Jodi Ripu~Shivangi AT#3* $ Winner of Hearts $ - Page 56

Ripudaman Handa, the man is used to stir up any delicacy, found himself in an awkward situation when he was asked to dance.

The Punjabi munda who only knew how to shake a leg to the tunes of a bhangra beat is today standing tall on the stage of Nach Baliye 6 (Frames Productions) on Star Plus along with his sweetheart Shivangi Verma.

Talking exclusively to Tellychakkar.com hours before the finale, Ripu sounded exalted at his journey on the show. "I never imagined that I will come so far and think it's all because of our hard work that we managed to do so well on this show. I and Shivangi have put in loads of hard work and this is the result of the same," he averred.

"If I have to describe our journey, it has been full of ups and downs. Since we do not belong to this field, it was not easy to adjust to all the limelight but I think we have managed to fit well. Special thanks to Shivangi, for whom all this is very new; I am at least six months old in this business having earlier won the MasterChef title," Ripu added.

So what has been the biggest challenge for him and Shivangi, we asked. Pat came the reply, "Dancing requires a lot of physical strength and since we have never danced in our lives, it was difficult to cope up. Right now we are standing along with a superb set of dancers as their competitors, having performed well in the competition."

So what made the viewers bring him to such a level? "Well, I feel the viewers have also realised that we have learnt a lot in this period. And whatever we did, it was all on the stage for the public to see. From the initial goof ups to getting perfect scores, they have seen it all. I believe I am still a common man and thus the viewers can connect with me well," answered Ripu.

And how much of a change has the show brought to him? "A lot! My mom was here in the last episode and she was surprised to see how confidently I spoke on stage. I am much more confident and a changed man compared to the shy careless guy that I was earlier. While MasterChef brought me focus in my wayward life, Nach Baliye has just enhanced it. Today I feel that nothing is impossible; only hard work matters. If today someone tells me to go up on the moon, I am sure with my hard work and perseverance, I can do that too," the chef replied.

Having stood on the finale stage earlier too, is he expecting to win this time also? "I really don't want to think about that. Even during MasterChef I told everyone that I have given my 100 per cent, now all depends on luck and similarly here also I know everyone has given their best efforts, the rest is all luck. Since food has been my passion, I gave all my jaan to it while for me Nach has been a school where I have put in all my sweat and blood to reach to the top. If I win I'll be glad and if not, I'll be happy that I almost reached there."

So what plans does he have next? "Oh my bags are almost packed and we will be off to Delhi soon. We are going to just chill and relax and then think about what to do next. Till then it's all about going back to our families, enjoying Delhi ki sardi and gorging on chaats. Since this is the first time Shivangi has reached the finale of some competition, she is like a bundle of nerves at the moment and needs some rest soon after," laughingly answered Ripu.

And finally who does he think will win? "Everyone is a good dancer and have put in a lot of efforts. And I feel the best couple should win. For me reaching in the top four bracket is in itself a big achievement and honestly we would be glad if we did win," he signed off.