Baichung Bhutia: Twinkle toes

From football star to dancing star: that’s Baichung Bhutia for you. India’s top footballer recently won Jhalak Dikhla Ja, season III. He is the first male contestant to bag the trophy on the show. What’s more, he’s the first “non-dancer”, as he calls himself, who managed to win despite many hurdles — including the disapproval of colleagues who thought he was not doing justice to his game and focussing instead on a more glamorous career.

Trophy apart, Bhutia won Rs 40 lakh on the show. “I’ve shared half with my choreographer Sonia and most of the other half has gone to charity, especially for the recent West Bengal flood victims,” he says. The dance rehearsals often saw Sonia accompany Bhutia to Kolkata, where he practised football and even managed to play some matches.

Despite being fond of certain brands, Bhutia says that it wasn’t for the money but to get over the fear of dancing that he decided to go up on stage.

While he claims not to be a brands-conscious person, Bhutia admits that there are certain brands that he simply cannot do without. His shoes, for instance. “I’ve been a Nike fan for as long as I can remember, and I simply can’t imagine going anywhere without them,” he says. Needless to say, this brand became his favourite not only on the playground but also during the innumerable dance rehearsals, each of which stretched on for three hours at least. While the prices vary, typically the brand’s running and training shoes cost around Rs 5,500.

Bhutia brought out his comfortable FCUK tees to absorb all the sweat that he put into his dancing. Usually priced at Rs 500, these tees, says Bhutia, are always to be found in his closet. Apart from tees, Bhutia prefers formal wear by Hugo Boss (Rs 44,500 upwards) for functions and parties.

All that energy that went into dance rehearsals ensured that Bhutia kept David Beckham’s Instinct (Rs 2,750) in his bag at all times. Bhutia says that he really, really likes the fragrance; we, of course, think that it’s a classic case of one sports star rooting for another.

What you’ll also find in Bhutia’s closet are shades, especially Ray-Bans, the brand the footballer wears most. Prices vary but the shades that Bhutia sports typically cost around Rs 24,000.

Indian football’s poster boy, having tasted glamour in tinseltown, says that dancing is way tougher than football. “I’m going to avoid all weddings in the family. There’s no way that I’ll dance. I’ll leave that to SRK and Akshay Kumar. They do a better job at dancing,” he laughs. “I’ve grown up loving disco dance like most people but I was always shy to come on stage.”

Considering that his timing on stage got better and better with every performance, is there a watch brand that he particularly likes to sport?

“You’ll never see me wearing a watch but yes, I do have Hamilton watches in my closet,” he says. Timepieces by this brand cost around Rs 30,000 to start with and then spiral dizzyingly upwards.

Maybe Bhutia should sport a watch. After all, it’s really his time to reap the benefits of winning a dance show.