The chhote “dance ke baap” have announced their entry with a bang. The junior edition of Dance India Dance — DID L’il Masters — which opened its second season with a grand 5.8 TVR, beating launch-day ratings of Kaun Banega Crorepati 5, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 and Just Dance, soared to 6.2 TVR in its second week in May and continues to score high in viewership. The nationwide auditions were beamed over the last month.

Now the competition is entering the business end after Karisma Kapoor, as guest judge, helped Grandmaster Mithun Chakraborty choose the final 16. One kid from Calcutta has made it to the main round — 11-year-old Deep Ghosh, who made it to the top 11 of Dance Bangla Dance 2011. A t2 chat with the show’s judges — choreographers Geeta Kapur, aka Geeta Ma, and Marzi Pestonji.

Sonakshi Sinha with the contestants of DID L’il Masters

Geeta Kapur

The biggest challenge in a reality show for kids must be handling their emotions. How do you cope with that?

I think it depends on how the parents handle it. We can never get as close as parents can to the children. We are not forcing them to come here. If the parents encourage them to come to a reality show, then it is their responsibility to take care of their mental state as they grow into the contest. Of course, there are doctors on the sets as there were in Season I.

Do you need to keep chocolates with you to keep the kids happy?

We have them on our table all the time. And there are times when they come with chocolates for us. But I don’t have to eat them as I have Marzi by my side who is the biggest bachcha of them all! He and Terrence (Lewis, who judged the auditions) have snatched away food items that were brought at the auditions and I am so upset. But that’s one way to keep my diet going.

Have you had a situation when the camera is ready to roll but an upset kid refuses to perform?

We’ve never had kids getting upset on the show, I don’t know why. But there have been situations when everything is ready and the kid announces, ‘Susu jaana hai’ and walks off. Then we all have to wait, but they don’t care.

You take in children upto the age of 13. Do the older ones enjoy an edge in dancing skills or are the younger ones indulged more by voting audiences?

I don’t think the audience discriminates on the basis of age while voting. They are very sharp. They only see dancing skills.

Judges Geeta Kapur and Marzi Pestonji

Marzi Pestonji

Where do the contestants disappear after the show ends?

This show is just the beginning for them. This is the age for them to work harder and harder, and face rejection also. That day Shiamak (Davar) was watching the show and he suddenly asked: ‘Who’s that kid? I want that kid.’ He is doing a documentary for which he is looking for new faces. I know Siddhesh (Season 1) and Dharmesh (Season 2) do a lot of shows. They may not be exposed on national television all the time but the show has already given them a lot of reach. Zee TV also uses them whenever possible. The four skippers of L’il Masters — Raghav, Neerav, Kruti and Prince — for instance, are from the DID family.

How is DID different from other dance shows on TV?

DID is watched by everyone who wants to dance as this show gives them the maximum knowledge. Take a show like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa — not that I am trying to pull it down — but it is a show with stars. Some stars are good dancers but many stars can’t dance though they are hardworking people. But in DID, you have to dance to survive.

How different is judging a show for kids from one for adults?

With a kid you have to be careful about what you say. I can tell an adult ‘I did not like your performance’. But with a kid you’ve got to phrase it differently. They are clean slates and whatever you say will stay in their head. So you’ve got to only encourage and give them hope so that they go forward.

How comforting is it to have Geeta Ma by your side?

I still get stuck on my Hindi half the time. If I use a wrong word or phrase on national television, it can backfire. I turn to her for the meaning when I am not sure. She has been on DID 1, 2, Doubles, L’il Masters Season 1… good to have someone with her experience.

DID L’il Masters beams Saturday and Sunday at 9pm on Zee TV