Glad to get her oxygen back again, danseuse and actor Sudha Chandran cannot wait to get back on stage again. Sudha’s attempts at returning to her lost passion will be the highlight of the second season of Sony’s Jhalak Dikhla Ja , Sony’s Indian version of the BBC show Dancing With Stars where celebrities pair up with noted choreographers to vie for top slot.

Asked if her training in classical Bharat Natyam would hinder her chances in the show which is mostly about Western dance forms— hip hop, reggae, salsa, rock and roll, jazz, Chandran answered, “No. dance teaches you rhythm and inculcates a discipline. Yes, I will have to unwind myself from the constraints of classical dance to write a fresh story on paper but I am prepared for that. Classical dance is the biggest foundation one can ever ask for. As a dancer you have to develop your own uniqueness in the style. That is the acid test.”

Sudha will pit her talent against contestants like Ronit Roy, Sonali Kulkarni, Prachi Desai, Mikka, Cyrus Broacha and others in the show that will have Urmila Matondkar as one of the three judges and goes on air from September 28, exactly a month away.

Is she carrying the victory of the Jaipur Foot as an inspirational message for others? Chandran is quick to react to that one— “Why just the Jaipur Foot. Any form of disability should not restrict one from taking on life’s challenges. Failures are the stepping stones to success and I will be competing here in very tough Western dance steps that I am unfamiliar with along with able-bodied people. It’s a very challenging, very difficult task that I have taken up, I know. A Herculean Task if I may say so. Whether I last two episodes or go the whole hog, my message is loud and clear. I will not let disability stop me from doing what I love best— dancing!”

“Most people today have only seen me as Ramola Sikand. I want them to know the original side of me. I have joined the show to thoroughly enjoy myself, show my talent and learn new dance forms.”