Articles Archives:No Comments

This section will contain all the articles related to Jhalak Dikhla Jaa show only.

Please don't post any comments over here.

Sony also says 'Nach Baliye'

Plans are on for desi version of American superhit Dancing With The Stars with Siddharth Basu
Shaheen Parkar
shaheen@mid-day.com

After Indian Idol, Sony has plans for another massive show — Dancing With The Stars. Comparisons may be odious, but Star One's big ticket Nach Baliye was loosely inspired by the hit American show.
Though the channel prefers not to comment at this stage, it is reliably learnt that the Sony folks will ink the deal on Monday when they will spell out the details. Says an source, "The channel has been in talks regarding Dancing With The Stars. In the next few days they will make an announcement. They are hyping it as their next big show after Indian Idol."
Fancy footwork
Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC in the United States, besides several other countries like Canada and Australia. The concept of the show is to a pair a celebrity with a professional dancer or choregrapher. The duo then attempts to win a high score from a panel of judges and the maximim number of votes from the viewers. The person who receives the lowest score is eliminated at every round, but they are allowed one last dance at the end of the show.
This means that a professional has to teach his or her partner, so that both can put their best foot forward as a dancing couple. Apart from the dance, there will also be the pain, emotion and tears of the non-dancer partner. After all, matching steps with a professional can be really tough.
Besides the list of Bollywood choregraphers the channel is in talks with, a string of telly, Bollywood and Page 3 faces are expected to be the partners.
'Quiz'zical makeover
What's most interesting about Dancing With The Stars is that it will be produced by Siddharth Basu's Synergy Communications. This marks Basu's entry into a new genre of programming from what he is best known for a quiz master.
This also means that Basu will step over to Sony from the Star network . In the past, Basu has produced shows like Star Plus's biggest draw Kaun Banega Crorepati with Amitabh Bachchan. He has also produced Hum Tum Aur Mum (Star Plus) and Bluffmaster (Star One). Presently, his show Heartbeat airs on Star One.
Incidentally, Sony has earlier announced another formatted reality show, Extreme Makeover, to be hosted by Mona 'Jassi' Singh. The show will have on board a team of doctors who will give individuals with flawed looks (a prominent birthmark, a cleft lip or a victim of an acid attack) a complete transformation by changing their looks.
While Extreme Makeover is slated to air early next year, Dancing With The Stars will air by the year-end.

Watch out, ladies

Cricketer-turned-television anchor Ajay Jadeja reportedly has a roving eye. It is believed that Jadeja brings out his stock of limericks and corny one-liner jokes whenever he spots a PYT in the vicinity. Now that he's a part of Sony's Jhalak Dikhala Jaa, we want to give some advance warning his female co-stars: be wary of this smooth operator!

Shveta looks up to J-Lo for jig tips

The actress has been doing her homework for Sony's Jhalak Dikhla Jaa by watching dance movies
Tushar Joshi
tushar.joshi@mid-day.com

One thing Shveta Salve wants to make clear is that she isn't a trained dancer. There has been buzz among her rival participants about how Salve is turning out to be a tough competitor thanks to her formal training. "I don't know who started this rumour, but I have not been to any dance school in my life. I love dancing but have never been coached to dance."
Old friend
Interestingly, Shveta is happy about that fact that her choreographer Longinus is an old friend. "I have never worked with him, but have known of him for a long time. We know each other through a common friend, so its fun to be rehearsing with him."
The practice
Now that she's a part of the competition, Shveta wants to make sure she is well equipped to face her challengers. "Besides having a good time, I know that this is a serious show, so I obviously want to give my all to it." As a part of her preparation for the contest she is revisiting some of her favourite dance movies. "I love watching Dirty Dancing, Fame, and Shall We Dance? There's so much you can watch and learn." Apart from watching movies, Shveta is also reading books and surfing the Internet to get some background on the dance forms. "I didn't know what the waltz or the cha-cha-cha was, until I started my rehearsals. Every form is different from the other. It's a challenge to be able to master all of them."
On the work front, Left Right Left is keeping her busy. "Its fun working on the show, and am happy with the response it is getting."

Director-actor Mahesh Manjrekar who is one of the celebrity participants of Sony's Jhalak Dikhla Jaa hopes that the judges will give separate marks, purely for entertainment. "Only then will I make it to the next round," he says adding, that if they judge him solely for his dancing he will be the first to go out. Manjrekar who has been rehearsing for three to four hours every day gives full credit to his choreographer Sonia Jaffer for taking up the challenge of making him groove. "I have two left feet and it's quite a task for me to dance," he says candidly. Backaches and leg pain notwithstanding, he's enjoying himself and "slowly getting into the groove..."