Are the Jhalak Dikhla Ja judges biased?
One has desisted from saying anything about the two popular television dance shows, Jhalak Dikhla Ja and Nach Baliye 2, on Sony and Star One respectively, since one needed to see both before commenting. Since NB2 premiered in week 4 of JDJ and I have seen all the episodes so far, I think it is time.
One, there is no comparison between the two shows. Nach Baliye may have been zeitgeist last year but now it is already looking so, well, last year. And it is all of one episode old! Nothing about the show - last year's winners Sachin and wife as the hosts, the contestants, the clothes sense, or even the signature tune - is appealing. On the basis of the first show, there were only two things good about Nach Baliye 2: Hussain's dance skills, and Tanaaz and Bakhtyar Irani. It clearly sucks otherwise, man!
Sony, in contrast, appears to have hit it right, barring the choice of jury but more on that later. It was a hastily put together show, in order to go one up on NB2, and it showed in the very first episode, and perhaps also in the choice of contestants.
The second week saw Pooja Bedi knocked off, the first contestant to go. No surprises there, she clearly couldn't dance. As judge Farah Khan said, she couldn't dance in Jo Jeeta Woh Sikandar, she can't dance now.
The third week saw the exit of Rati Agnihotri, heartthrob in her heyday. She was dancing after more than 20 years, and it showed. But what showed more was that she needed a new costume designer.
The fourth week has seen the exit of celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. No surprises there, again, since his expertise lay clearly in the kitchen. He did try on the dance floor, visibly at times, but no tears over his exit.
What was surprising about the exits was that these came about, so we were told by the host and real-life couple Archana Puran Singh and Parmeet Sethi, after the Indian public had voted.
But we were not told how many votes were received from the janta - surely, the public has a right to know?
Over to the judges now. On the evidence of the four weeks of JDJ, it is clear the 3-member jury - of Farah Khan, Sanjay Bhansali and Shilpa Shetty - are biased.
In favour of fraternity member Mahesh Manjrekar.
And clearly against Akashdeep Saigal and Ajay Jadeja.
So clear is this bias is that when Manjrekar's stumbles, it gets overlooked. When Saigal or Jadeja stumble, it is clumsiness.
When Manjrekar improvises, it is creative. When Saigal or Jadeja improvise, it is wrong.
Naturally Manjrekar, who is as good as a dancer you will see in any Ganesh procession, no less no more, gets top marks, while Akashdeep Saigal, despite being described as a dark horse for two weeks running, and Jadeja languish at the bottom of the pile.
Which is a tragedy, since among all the contestants, it's Akashdeep Saigal who has shown the maximum improvement and Jadeja the most spirit. I was one of those asking for Akashdeep's exit at the end of the first week, so bad was he. Yet, today, I am raving about him, for so infectious is his joie de vivre!
But the judges won't see all that, blinded as they are by their love for one of their own, and the public, in the absence of how their own vote went, can only suspect the jury process.
Like I do.
--Janus
Cricket
Kumkum Bhagya
Tum Se Tum Tak
Sampoorna
Jhanak
