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Anand Raj Anand: Jhalak gave me another talent

Famous music director Anand Raj Anand tried his luck on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa with choreographer Rosita but he didn't manage to stay for long. Anand was the third contestant to get evicted from the grand platform.

HE spoke to us about his elimination, his fear of the face off as well as all he has learnt from the show- including how to dance like a tapori.
How has your journey been on Jhalak?
It has been beautiful. For me, Jhalak was not just a reality show; it was a face-to-face interaction with the audience. Now I know that dancing is not an easy job yet I am glad to see myself dancing onscreen.

Do you feel that you did not get enough time to prove yourself?
No, I have absolutely no regrets at all. I did not come on the show to prove anything, I came to have fun and I did that. The most important thing is that people have appreciated my efforts. It is not the one who is the best who will win but the person who is the least bad of all the bad dancers! (Laughs)

What do you think went wrong?
I think it was the votes. Just because we got low marks did not mean we performed badly. In fact, the judges used to give me lower marks because they wanted me to perform better. But the audience took this the other way around and did not vote for us.

Were you expecting to be eliminated?
Definitely not! To be very frank, I was not prepared for the face off round but I know why it happened; I was not a popular face from the small screen. Obviously, I felt bad about it. I always prayed that I would never have to go through the face off.

Monica was in the bottom 2 along with you, what do you have to say about that?
Female contestants with male choreographers are always at an advantage. They can lift them; do various types of steps and even cover up their flaws. It's not the same with male dancers. That's the problem here. Also, as I said earlier, I was not prepared for the face off round at all. I went blank at the last moment.

Did you get along with your choreographer Rosita?
Rosita was brilliant! All the choreographers are extremely good there because job hi doosro ko bardaasht karta hai, wo genius hota hai. Rosita was like my guru in Jhalak and she was an amazing guru.

Did you ever break the rules of the Jhalak house?
Yes, I used to arrive late for the rehearsals.

Three weeks at Jhalak, how would you now rate yourself as a dancer?
Mujhe duniya ne sar par uthaa liya hai. Since I've got eliminated, I've been flooded by messages and phone calls from my fans. The response has been great. So if you tell me to rate myself, I would say 10/10 because jiss insaan ko sivaye bhangra ke kuch nahi aata tha, wahi insaan without flaws ke dance kar raha hai. That's a big achievement!

What all have you learnt dance-wise?
I've learnt the Samba, Salsa and South Indian folk dance, which we were supposed to perform for the coming episode. I've also learnt a tapori type of dance.

What have you learnt apart from dance?
I am a born singer and through Jhalak, I've discovered one more talent. Forget about just dance, I know now that I can take up any thing in the future.

If given a chance, would you like to return to Jhalak as a wild card entrant?
Definitely! It will be a surprise to me though.

Who do you think deserves to win?
Right from the first day, I thought that Gauhar was the only one who is a complete dancer. Now, even Shilpa is doing well but still I think Gauhar deserves to win as she's perfect.

Will we see you participating in any other reality shows in the future?
Never! You might see me as a judge but as a participant, never!

Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3 airs every Friday and Saturday at 9pm on Sony TV.

http://www.indya.com/news/newsDetails.aspx?xfile=2009/March/News_20090324_116

Prachi goes back to Ekta

Prachi Desai will be playing the lead in Balaji Telefilms' next movie Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. The film is said to be based on Haji Mustan's life. Prachi, who has recently signed up for the movie, tells us more.

"I am here to win," says Gauhar

Model Gauhar Khan is not just outstanding walking the ramp but she's proved that she is quite a pro on the dance floor as well. Before participating in Jhalak, very few people knew that this gorgeous gal was capable of being a tough dance competitor.

We caught up with her to explore her equation with dance and music through this rapid fire round of questions.
Previous dance experience: I haven't been trained in any form of dance. But yes, I've participated in many dance competitions when I was in school as I was the activity minister. I've done a lot of folk dance but all these different forms which I am learning here are new to me.

Your take on dance: It's a form of expression for me! Dance is not just dance but something that drives away all my stress. It puts me at ease.

Your favourite dance: I love Bollywood dancing the most as it has all the masala and tadka. I also love contemporary dance, which I performed last week on Jhalak. Actually, the more I learn, the more I am discovering new forms of dancing. So I enjoy all forms, this week you'll see me doing Indian folk.

Person whom you think will win: Me! I am here to win and for that I am doing everything I possibly can! I am working very hard and all my work and dedication has to pay off surely!

Your favourite judge: I like all three of them for different reasons. I like Saroj ji because she has high expectations from me and she is hard to impress. Juhi is my strength and my emotional support and Vaibhavi is one person whose comments mean a lot to me. She's completely impartial.

Quotable quote from a judge that has lingered: When I performed on Kajra Re, Vaibhavi simply said, 'Gauhar when you come on the dance floor, you burn it!'

Quotable quote from a contestant that has lingered: It was something which Bhagyashree told me during my first rehearsal. She said, 'I don't know till when I will be on the show, but one thing what I know for sure is that you are a rockstar!'

Now playing on your iPod: It is Soniyo from Raaz. Its lyrics are so sweet and the song has a sound that gets you hooked on to it.

Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa airs every Friday and Saturday at 9pm on Sony TV.


http://www.indya.com/news/newsDetails.aspx?xfile=2009/March/News_20090324_118

Baichung's Rumba gives him full 30

Anoop Desai is dope too and quite unlike Sanjaya, the earlier contestant on American Idol of Indian extraction. Sanjaya's fame was his flamboyant locks which changed direction and style depending on the song: if it was rock'n'roll, his hair spilled over his face; if it was hip hop, they tightened into dreadlocks. No such luck for Anoop, short, back and sides. His rendition of 'Always on my mind' moved the understated Simon Cowell to say he had gone from "zero to hero" but not one hair on Anoop's head moved out of place: it was short, back and sides no matter what.

The judges' compliments on Jhalak Dikhla Ja (Sony) are enough to turn anyone's head let along hairdos. "Ravishing performance, Monica!" exclaimed Vaibhavi Merchant to Monica Bedi; "mind-blowing" she blew at Anand Raj. Saroj Khan doesn't waste too much breath. She either whistles her compliments or says "you were very good" which she said so often to male contestants, the female competitors demanded she undergo a sex discrimination test! Prim Juhi Chawla confined herself to, "you are a very good dancer" (Gauhar Khan) or, "I'm very impressed" (Hard Kaur). Some performances are item numbers but if the "teen deviyan" as Vaibhavi, Juhi and Saroj are fondly referred to by the anchors, exhaust all superlatives/platitudes in the early rounds, what will be left to say by the later stages? Dope, perhaps?

😆

Hard Kaur Slips in the Ranks on Reality Show 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja'

March 22 2009 20:45 PST

By: Mufsin Mahbub

On the hit show 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja', Hard Kaur usually uses her natural rhythm and confidence to wow the crowd as well as the judges for each performance .This week however, she faltered a little and received a twenty-five from the judges. That placed poor Hard Kaur in third on the ranks. After trying to learn a tough new dance for her fourth week on the show and losing her place in first.

The dance which is called the "Lindy Hop" was what Hard Kaur and her partner Savio practiced for this past week. The "Lindy Hop" includes a series of lifts, high speed moves, and requires a lot of energy from the dancers. Usually Hard Kaur gives her all in every performance, but this past weekend the judges weren't as pleased as usual. Hard Kaur and Savio added an Indian flair to this African American dance by incorporating the song 'Aye Bachchoo' from the blockbuster film 'Ghajini'.

Saroj Khan said that Hard Kaur did a good job introducing this new dance and that she and Savio should teach it to others. However, she also noticed that the lifts were a little hurried due to problems with balance. She liked the effort Hard Kaur put in to introduce a new dance and gave her an eight. To Hard Kaur this was probably a wake up call to try a little harder next time.

Vaibhavi Merchant also gave her an eight for the effort she put in to attempt this new dance. She felt that Hard Kaur's energy was less than her last performance, but she expected a lot from her as Hard Kaur has always set the bar high for herself. She closed by saying "It was a excellent attempt; so don't give up."
After seeing the presentation, Juhi Chawla's face was surprised at how much effort the dance took and gave her a nine. She also gave Hard Kaur a boost in her confidence by saying what is quickly becoming her catch phrase "Hard Kaur is simply hardcore.

Hard Kaur is safe and has made it to next week, but will she be able to keep the bar high for herself. Her previous performance was awesome so hopefully next week it will be just as great. Tell us if you think Hard Kaur has what it takes to get back to number one. Watch her performance from this past week below and let us know what you think about her chances. Will this week out from the number one slot push her to try harder or will Hard Kaur be hard on her luck. Give us your feedback below.

Source : Desihits.com

site:Sindh Today

Well known music director , Anand Raj Anand is the latest evictee from Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Howe ever he seems to be pretty cool about his exit." At the end there will have to be only winner right. Every week somebody has to go, so this Saturday I went out, but next time it will be somebody else's chance to face the music ".

Q. What went wrong?

A. Nothing, it's just that I was not mentally ready to be a part of the face off round again. I had broken my back preparing for the next round. Hence when I did perform on my old number, the disappointment showed on my face and the judges caught it.

But all said and done, I have no regrets. I am overwhelmed by the love and affection that people have showered on me in the last 3 weeks. It's well known by now that the only reason why I took part in Jhalak was to make my daughter happy. She wanted me to come in front of the whole world. I had promised her that I will last at least till the 6th round, but now I am telling her that the effort each round took was equal to 6 episodes, so I have lasted 18 episodes.

Q. Were you a bit afraid of facing humiliation, if things went wrong?

A. No, this is not a competition of dancers. So all it really boils down is to who is less bad among the crowd. And I am in that stage of my life where I am not competing with anybody else. I am quite secure as a music director and this is just one more facet of life that I am exploring.

Q. Do you think that because you don't appear too much on television, it worked against you?

A. I agree that I landed in the Face Off due to lesser votes. Some of the sympathy factor's like Ram Kapoor dancing despite being fat or Mohinder Amarnath being old, did not apply to me. Karan Singh Grower on the other hand has woman swooning all over him. I was regarded as a proper dancer. I also feel that we artists are not so good at management.

Q. Your equation with your choreographer Rosita?

A. It rocked because I clearly told that she will have to forget my celebrity status, if we have to stand a chance. She was really good. My grand dad would always tell me to tolerate the attitudes of talented artist. We have had our share of differences, but they were in the heat of the moment.

Q. You had first taken part as a judge (Junoon Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka, NDTV Imagine) in a reality show now participant?

A. I now understand that even the participants have a valid point of view. Hence I will be a much better judge, next time, if given a chance. As for the current judges, I have nothing against them but yes I would have hoped for better marking.

Q. What observation's have you made?

A. It's more easier for female celebs for their choreographer's can easily lift and control them but in our(men) case, its tough for even if Rosita did teach me to lift, we being so clumsy, we will not know what to do next.

Q. What have you taken home from Jhalak?

A. I always knew that as a result of the rigorous physical exercise, even I don't build the abbs, I will surely loose my flab. And it has happened. Ask anybody what they feel after loosing those extra kilos and seeing the shine return on their faces. I will never be able to thank Jhalak enough for giving me this chance.

Q. Can you sing a song of yours to describe your 3 weeks in Jhalak?

A. I will only sing, Daga Nahi Denge Sanam Phadke Ke Rakh Denge…This will also apply, if we do return as wild card. –

Baichung's rumba gives him a full 30!

This week the judges took a serious decision on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa; Juhi Chawla announced that they were going to be stricter with the scores. So the contestants realised that they needed to pull up their socks and take the competition seriously.

BUT little did the judges know that the celebrity contestants were all set to make them eat their words. This week, the level of performance superseded everything done before. Unlike the other weeks, there wasn't just one, but three superb performances that had the judges asking for more.
Monica Bedi, who claimed her dance moves were rusty after her long break from the limelight, was jolted out of her predicament after being in the bottom last week. She gave a brilliant rumba performance that fetched her full marks from the judges. She was followed by Baichung Bhutia's rumba which was surprisingly amazing. His performance, which has been drab during the previous weeks, got him full 30 from the judges this time.

Parul Chauhan, with her international freestyle, simply lifted everybody's spirits. However, she just missed getting full marks. After watching these mind blowing acts, it seems that in this race to the finish, it is the hare that is caught napping while the tortoise races ahead!

http://www.indya.com/news/newsDetails.aspx?xfile=2009/March/News_20090325_125

Hill Road Media

Wednesday, March 25, 2009