Article--Messy Good byes

B arely into its second week and the musical reality show Jjhoom India is already sparking off controver- sies. Apara Mehta has been evicted from the show, while singer Zubin Garg has been shown the door. Voted out The eviction episode, which will air on Sahara One on Friday, sees Mehta being ousted after the oth- er contestants voted against her. The actress is obviously upset. "I guess they were afraid of me, that's why they threw me out. Actually, such a format - in which jodis are allowed to vote for or against each other - brings out the worst in human nature," says a visibly disappointed Mehta. She pleads with viewers not to waste their money on SMSes since they don't count. Mehta had earlier said that she was fully aware of the eviction rules of Jjhoom India, and had agreed to be a part of the show simply because she was loved the concept. Booted out As for Zubin Garg's exit, head of programming, Kalyan Sun- daram states, "We had no other option. He hasn't been turning up for the rehearsals or even the shoots. His partner, Shama Sikandar, had to practise all by herself for this episode." Who will replace Garg? "The search is on," says Sundaram, adding that they will need to find a singer who can issue bulk dates. Sikandar is clueless about her partner's exit. "He hasn't both- ered to call me at all. He just gave me a missed call yesterday," she says. She'll talk to Garg later to get a clear picture. "He was probably busy and couldn't turn up for the shoot, but that's not right," she concludes.