Meet the ‘strict’ judge of DID Li’l Masters…Ahmed Khan

Well-known director and choreographer Ahmed Khan, the first time judge on Zee TV’s DID Li’l Masters Season 3, is enjoying his job but understands his sense of responsibility.

Yes, he has become the big daddy on the sets of DID Li’l Masters for he knows how to take charge.

In a conversation with us, Ahmed talks about co-judge Geeta Kapoor and the notorious brats.

How has it been sharing the ‘judging chair’ with Geeta Kapoor and Mudassar Khan so far? “Indeed Geeta is much junior to me while Mudassar is mini, but I am not old (referring to his age). In fact Remo is two months older to me but I started with Rangeela when I was just 19. So it was not difficult for them (Geeta/Mudassar) to handle the kids, but it was about handling my positioning with them because I am very particular about that,” he answered.

“I’ve known Geeta for 25 years; she has also danced for me and though she is lot more experienced than me when it comes to judging shows, all I can say is after judging two episodes, one gets the knack of judging,” Ahmed added.

We’ve heard that you’re a very strict judge? “Let me narrate an incident. When during the auditions, Mudassar was saying something to a kid, the tiny thing cut him short and said, ‘Ruko na aap kya pak pak karte rehte ho?’ Asking Mudassar to stop I directed the kid to come center stage, put his hands right behind and call out for his father. And when he did come I gave the father a good hearing. When I asked him whether his child talks like this at home too, his father nodded his head for a ‘no’. Next when I told Mudassar to go and slap the child as we do so to a child at home when he/she speaks badly, the kid started crying even before Mudassar could get up from his seat. Now that’s a kid and the next moment he was in my arms. I feel that they should become baaps (masters) with their performances and not with their tongue,” he informed.

So basically you don’t let the kids leave without teaching them some manners. “I for one, firmly fire their parents and yes, I don’t leave a chance to do so for if we let them go without saying a word, they will themselves ruin their kids. When I was young, my parents never said ‘ja ja beta Anil Kapoor se haat mila’ or give a toffee to Shekhar Kapoor or Boney Kapoor. But these kind of parents conduct their kids in a wrong way. There was this kid whom we rejected as he danced more like the way one dances in birthday parties. But he stood his ground and said,

‘Mujhe ek hi raasta malum hai aur woh aapki taraf hai’. The issue is that these parents parrot train their children to say certain things, for they feel it will help them get into the show,” Ahmed observed.

Interestingly Ahmed has also received the maximum number of kisses on the show. When asked about the same he laughingly exclaimed, “I have been kissed by at least 500 kids. In fact, I got boils on my face as a result of those kisses.”

Way to go Ahmed!