The rookie K-Pop act IN2IT might have made headlines last month for embarking on their first tour in India and for their memorable performances on stage, but it was their Bollywood-style dance cover of ‘The Jawaani Song’ from new film ‘Student Of The Year 2’ that arguably brought them to newer heights. Alongside trainee and opening act AleXa, the viral video showcasing their sleek moves reached over 45,000 views to date on Twitter and even received praise from the film’s director Punit Malhotra and producer Karan Johar.
Gulf News tabloid! caught up with IN2IT and shared with us their experience touring in India, the idea behind the dance cover, their interest in Arabic music and much more.
Q: Congratulations on successfully completing your first ever tour in India. Tell us about your experience there and performing for a whole new audience?
Jiahn: We were so grateful that so many people came to our concerts and welcomed us everywhere although it was our first time in India. It was meaningful to have the first tour in India as a K-Pop artist, and I believe we could finish the tour happily as the audience enjoyed our performance with us. I think Indian fans are really enthusiastic. It was surprising that they sang our songs along and they were all great dancers, too. Indian food we had during the tour was delicious and everything over all was the whole new experience. Wish we could come to India again.
Our tour in India stays as a wonderful memory to us as so many fans cheered our tour with great interest and love.
Q: At one point during your performance, you all went full on Bollywood when dancing to song ‘Bole Chundiya’ from ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ with AleXa. Have you all had a keen interest in Bollywood songs and movies?
Inpyo: The movie ‘Three Idiots’ was a big hit when I was in middle school in Korea. It was the first Bollywood movie I’ve ever watched, and it touched me deeply — I was so into great scenes, wonderful performance of the actors and positive energy of the movie for a while that I kept shouting “all is well”. We were honoured to do a Bollywood cover during the tour, and I wish it also gave a positive energy to the audience.
Q: Let’s talk about the Bollywood dance cover video of ‘The Jawaani Song’ from upcoming movie ‘Student Of The Year 2’ with AleXa that pretty much went viral online. How did that come about? What sparked the idea to cover that particular song?
Inho: Our tour in India stays as a wonderful memory to us as so many fans cheered our tour with great interests and love. Especially ‘Bole Chudiyan’ performance had a great response during the tour so we decided to do another Bollywood dance cover to return the love we received. We had a fun time making the video, and we would like to thank everyone who enjoyed the video. We are also grateful to AleXa for creating a nice work with us.
Q: During the end credits of your performance, you dedicated it to the film’s producer Karan Johar. Is there a special reason behind this?
Isaac: We dedicated it to Mr Karan Johar because we want say thank you! We had so much fun dancing to ‘Bole Chudiyan’ and we were so happy that many Indian fans love our Bollywood cover stage. So we just put the thank you message at the end of the video. Mr Karan Johar, we are looking forward to your new movie, ‘Student of the Year 2’, and your new song, ‘The Jawaani’.
Q: How long did it take to perfect the dance moves of the song?
Yeontae: The dance moves were really exciting and fun so we could learn the song quickly in about two days. When we were practicing with IN2IT members and with AleXa, everyone enjoyed the practice and various new ideas came up. Adding new ideas to the dance moves, we practised in excitement even without knowing how the time passed.
Q: I’m very interested to know if any of you have listened to Arabic music. Have you had the chance to discover the music and dance?
Hyunuk: I’ve listened to the music of Nancy Ajram and watched her music videos, too. K-Pop also has similar genres so I could listen to the music with interest. I would like to have more opportunities to listen and watch Arabic music and dance.
Q: Speaking about music, what’s next for IN2IT? Are you all working on any new music we can look forward to?
Inpyo: We are working hard to announce new plans. I assume many fans are waiting for IN2IT in different places, so we will do our best to bring good news to them. We always appreciate all the interest and love the fans give us.
Q: Are there any plans on coming down to Dubai or the UAE to hold a concert or just for a visit?
Hyunuk: I would love to come to meet the fans in the UAE if we get a chance. I’ve seen Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in the pictures and wanted to visit there someday. I also want to visit many places in Dubai like Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates. I really wish we have a chance to visit there and have a concert.
Q: Can you give a few words to your fans in the UAE and around the region?
Inho: Hello, Arab fans! Thank you for your continuous love and interest. We are thankful to your support in various ways like comments on V Live. I wish we have an opportunity to see you in person someday and hope you could welcome us with a great passion like now when come to the UAE.
