— Let’s start our interview with the “Challenge” program on TNT. What attracted you to this project?
— Even the name of the project determined my interest in it. I like to challenge myself and I felt like this was one of them. I also love extreme sports and bright, vibrant emotions.
— According to the rules of the show, show business stars unite with scientists. How difficult was it for you to find a common language?
– This is what makes our project interesting; People from “different worlds” are invited to come together. The guys realized that we were not “stars”, but ordinary people like everyone else, and we realized that they were really cool and modern guys. The “Challenge” program breaks stereotypes!
— By the way, are you more of a team player or a loner by nature?
“I’ve always considered myself a team player, but I’m also good on my own. But of course you can’t do this project without a second head – that’s true.
— What difficulties did you encounter during the project? What was the hardest thing?
— In the show “Challenge,” a lot depended on a variety of factors: starting with yourself and ending with the stuntmen who populated the set and prepared the tests. Yes, not everything depends on you, but your task is to do the maximum. The most difficult thing in such situations is to tame your ego and the flow of emotions.
— Have you ever been to Dagestan before participating in the show? What impressions did you get after visiting the region?
— This was my second trip to Dagestan, and the second time I liked everything. I love to eat and cook, and it is very tasty for me in Dagestan. This was the first time I ate lamb every day without exception. People also seemed very friendly to me, taking lots of photos on the streets and wishing us success. The impression was good!
— You are now shooting in the Russian adaptation of the popular Turkish series “Knock on My Door”. Please tell us how you got involved in this project.
“Like all our heroes, I went to the audition. It took place at Mosfilm in March of this year. I had a different appearance, I had curls on my head – and a week later I flew to Bali to relax with my family. And, to be honest, I was not very confident in my participation in this project, although I have been acting in big films and TV series for eight years.
Many people are surprised that I am still in the cinema, but if you go to Kinopoisk you can clearly see my way in this direction.
– How are the shootings going?
– We started shooting the series in May and we will be in this process for a long time. “Knock on My Door” is a really big project and I am happy to be a part of it. Now we are already shooting indoors, but we spent the whole summer on location.
-Have you watched the original? How different do you think the Russian adaptation will be?
— I watched ten episodes of the original to get to the heart of the series. It is important to understand what adaptation is. This is not a carbon copy. There is a scenario, there is an idea, of course. But we have a completely different film crew, great actors. Overall a strong clip! I think people will love our characters and even those who haven’t watched the original will watch the show.
— You are also regularly releasing new tracks, part of your own electronic project VS20. Which one is closer to you as a musician today; pop or electronic? Which of these two genres do you see yourself in the future?
— Music is my main creative love. In this respect, I am versatile, I try not to limit myself when creating. I also love the pop aspect, many people loved me for that, but the electronic project is also very important to me because I love this style and the culture itself. I plan to improve every area and do so primarily for pleasure. People always feel that when something is done honestly, it is artificial.
— You also produce your girlfriend, Angelina Surkova, singer LEE. As a rule, couples try to separate work and family, but this is not the case for you. Does this affect your relationship?
“Lina and I are doing this for fun again.” In those moments when we are burning with an idea and want to implement it, not “have to” do it… This ensures that we do not confuse work with personal affairs. In a business sense, I am his mentor, he is my student, and in a personal sense, we are equal partners. This is also an important rule that we comply with and that gives us the opportunity to act harmoniously.
— You worked under the supervision of producer Konstantin Meladze for a long time. Does that experience help you now that you’re a producer?
“I definitely learned a lot from Kostya and I am grateful to him for a lot of things.” But there are also things I’ve learned not to do. So the whole experience is wonderful and rewarding.
— You announced your engagement in July 2022, but you still haven’t had a wedding. Even though you explained that you postponed the celebration until spring due to heavy workload, some continue to suspect your couple’s incompatibility. Will you deny the rumors?
– God! Frankly, in this sense, we absolutely do not care what they think of us. We are in a relationship for each other, not for anyone else.
We planned our wedding for spring and it’s true. It doesn’t matter who believes it, who doubts it and thinks about it. There is always only one rule for observers: Time will tell.
— Do you already have ideas about where you would like to hold the ceremony?
— We have our thoughts, but we don’t want to voice them yet. I will say only one thing – this will be a holiday for us and our family, and not a holiday for the whole world.
— On October 23, your daughter Mia turned six. Have you already decided what to give him? How do you plan to celebrate your birthday?
— Unfortunately, Miika got sick on her birthday. We had to move the holiday forward a few days. But we will celebrate it in the best way possible and surround him with as much love as possible. She is a fan of the movie “Avatar” and spent the entire summer dressing up as Avatar. Let’s consider this issue. Regarding the gift, I will give you a hint: I want to be in touch with him as often as possible!
— “Star Factory” gave your career a strong start. Do you think the project could be this popular right now?
— If you are talking about the new “Star Factory”, the format is of course a thing of the past. However! If the “dream team” – Channel One or TNT, Yana Churikova – comes together and, for example, Basta becomes the main mentor, there are chances of a truly successful season.
— You have achieved wide popularity as a member of the BiS group. What do you now see as the main plus and main minus for an artist who is a member of such boy groups?
— Yes, “BiS” was a bright page in my career. We walked along a steep path with Dima (Bikbaev – socialbites.ca) and Kostya. I’m so glad this happened in my life! The main plus is the love of the audience, the main minus… No! We grow through failures and triggers, and we need to be grateful for that.