MUMBAI: When we talk about dancing actors in the Indian film industry, one of the leading names that come to the fore is that of Hero No 1 Govinda. One of the most accomplished actors in Bollywood, Govinda is especially known for developing a unique dancing style, which appears on the screen as a cakewalk but is equally tough to perform. Even among the best of dancers who appeared over the years in popular dance reality shows, very few made a mark in that genre. But the same is not true for Ghaziabad’s Kunal Sharma, who is a popular face on short video app Likee. 

Kunal is an accomplished dancer who has millions of followers on Likee, the pioneering short video platform by Singapore-based BIGO Technology Pte Ltd. Following suggestions from his friends, he embarked on a glorious journey on the app in 2018. While initially his interest on the app was limited, his perception changed once he started participating in Likee Meet Ups and various hashtag challenges. 

"I was not very serious when I started, but gradually as I joined Likee meet-ups and amazing hashtag events, I realised the potential of the platform. The realisation came that since I can dance, I should make dance-centric videos, because people would know you only because of your talent," says Kunal. 

Encouraged by the response to his creations, the dance enthusiast later decided to use his profile on the app to train others who desired to shake their legs. In Kunal’s words, as his videos began to get popular, several Likers reached out to him and expressed their wish to learn dancing. “This propelled me to start putting dance tutorials for them,” he adds. The best thing about Kunal’s dance tutorials on the app is that they are crisp and short, teaching one step at a time. He seeks inputs from fellow Likers and decides on the steps and songs on the basis of their response. 

Unlike many other dance creators on different short video and social media platforms, Kunal is not a trained inspiration. Drawing his inspiration from dancing star Govinda, he acquired his skills by watching Bollywood songs and dance videos. “I started with copying dance videos on platforms like YouTube. My favourite dance form is Bollywood freestyle.” 

One prime factor that keeps him glued to Likee is the Talent Creator Union, which enabled Kunal to get engaged and acquainted with several other talented people. The short video app has aided his phenomenal journey and also helped him in earning rewards and accolades. 

According to the popular dancer, “Likee has given me a lot. I got a chance to meet several actors and actresses through the app and also got the opportunity to get into some major collaborations.” Thanks to his popularity on the platform, Kunal recently got an offer of teaching dance to children at a school.