Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar get set for another exciting season of Jhal

High profile judges Madhuri Dixit Nene and Karan Johar are seen here at the new season inauguration of the TV reality dance show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa.

From practicing dance to following strict diet and exercise regime - 13 celebrities from various walks of life are sweating it out for the last four weeks to unleash "never seen before" action on the stage of "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7", starting June 7.

This year the show follows a "never seen before" theme. Small screen's "Madhubala" Drashti Dhami, who participated in the last season, and Bollywood actor Ranvir Shorey will co-host the show, while Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo D'Souza will once again take the judges' seats for the new season.

The contestants range from actors Kritika Kamra, Mouni Roy, Purab Kohli, Karan Tacker, Sophie Choudry, Pooja Banerjee and Ashish Sharma to VJ Andy, professional dancer Shakti Mohan, singer Sukhwinder Singh, comedian Kiku Sharda as Palak, and cricketer S. Sreesanth.

Young dancing talent Akshat Singh will join them.

To put their best foot forward on the dance floor, the contestants rehearsed for three to four hours every day at the Jhalak House in Versova. The show is a training ground for most contestants and they started practicing four weeks ago.

Talking about their schedules for the rehearsals, Andy, whose antics on "Bigg Boss Saath 7" made him popular, said: "We all get a private room to rehearse, with different time schedules allotted to each contestant. We rehearse with our choreographers for three to four hours minimum a day."

Everyone has a competitive spirit, but Mouni says they feel contestant Shakti is a cut above the rest.

"Everyone is a competitor here. We don't include Shakti, since she is mind-blowing and is perfect at it. We all are waiting for the first episode to be shot, so that we get to know the capabilities of other contestants and know the competition better," said Mouni, a graceful dancer herself.

Dance is not all that the participants are doing. There's some dieting and exercising happening too!

"We work out in a gym. We have to eat healthy food. Our mentors guide us and instruct us what to eat and what not to. We have to be flexible and fit enough to perform different dance moves and styles," said Andy.

Also, the "never seen before" theme has ensured that contestants are on their toes. They are learning new dancing styles to lend a new and different look to the show.

"We have been mixing different styles and giving in new effects this time. Previous seasons have shown all the concepts and styles, so it's a hard time for us to show new things," said Karan.

For the likes of Kiku, popular as Palak from "Comedy Nights With Kapil", the show is a platform to hone his dancing skills.

"I always had a thing for dance. I was planning to join some dance institute, but soon, the offer for 'Jhalak...' dropped in and I happily accepted it. The show is paying me to learn dance, what more I can ask for," quipped Kiku.