Boys and girls gear up for the Boogie Woogie auditions.

Jamshedpur, April 1: Sixteen-year-old Shalini Mehta has been dancing at home to the accompaniment of Bollywood chartbusters for nearly four hours every day for the past week. Her friend Raja Mulchandani, 19, who lives next door, has been doing the same.

Shalini and Raja are not the only teenagers in the city who are brushing up their dancing skills before the big event — the Boogie-Woogie auditions — at the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD) in Bistupur from April 3.

“The city has been chosen as the venue for the Boogie Woogie auditions and we have made elaborate arrangements,” NIFD officials said.

For youths in the city, the event is a dream come true. They are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to outshine each other during the three-day auditions.

“Ever since I saw the advertisement for Boogie Woogie audition tests on Sony TV, I have began preparations in the right earnest,” said Rohit Kumar, who had earlier participated in dance programmes organised by clubs in the city.

Most of the boys and girls are optimistic that they would be selected. “I think my chances are bright as I have experience. I have performed in stage shows before,” said 15-year-old Dimple Sathe, a student of Kadma Girls’ High School.

Sources in the NIFD told The Telegraph that application forms for the audition tests are in great demand as a number of youths from the city and its adjoining areas are keen to participate in the programme.

Ajit Gaurav, a member of the production team that has arrived here from Mumbai, said candidates who pass the auditions would be required to go to Mumbai for shooting. Candidates in the age group 3 to 80 years can take the auditions, he said.

NIFD sources said recordings of the audition would be sent to Mumbai. Naved Jaffri (brother of actor Jaaved Jaffri) and Ravi Behl would select the “lucky few”.

The results would be intimated to the successful candidates over phone or through the NIFD in Bistupur, they said. The sources said the selection would be done on April 15. “The response to the auditions has been overwhelming. Youths are coming in hordes for the forms. We have exhausted our stock of forms yesterday,” the sources said, adding that the production team would conduct the tests. The forms are available free of cost.

Barring English, candidates can dance to the tune of any language. “We have called the candidates for a rehearsal tomorrow so that they can have a feel of things here,” the sources said.

When asked about the number of application forms given out, NIFD officials refused to state the exact figure. An NIFD official said that they had received more forms than what is normally made available by Boogie Woogie. “It is a popular programme where people from all walks of life, irrespective of their age get a chance to display their dancing skills. I think this time more forms were given to us because Boogie Woogie wants to give an opportunity to all wannabe dancers who dream of making it big some day,” she said.