At a recording of the second episode of Nach Baliye 2, high drama ensued as Rasik and Ketki Dave were the first participants to be voted out.
Also, a new format was put in motion, leaving most of the participants protesting.
Tie-breaker
In the original series, it was the viewers who voted out a couple each week. But in Nach Baliye 2, even the contestants will play a big part in the exit.
According to a new rule, the couples in the bottom two (as voted by the audience) will then be eliminated by a vote from the contestants, instead of the judges.
So even though Saroj Khan, Malaika Arora and Kunal Kohli gave the Daves the lowest score (9 points) on the first episode, Sharad and Keerti Kelkar were almost thrown out instead, even though they scored 21 points.
According to the audience poll, Rasik-Ketki and Sharad-Keerti were trailing. But when the contestants were asked to vote, there was a tie. The judges then bailed Sharad and Keerti out by voting against the Daves.
Why now?
Interestingly, the new format was revealed to the participants only when they came to the actual elimination. Says an insider, "The contestants protested that they did not want to cast their votes in favour of or against any couple. Eventually, the judges cajoled them to do what the format ordered."
Shailja Kejriwal, the creative head at Star, says, "I think it's fair to have a surprise element in a reality show. I don't think the contestants are over-reacting, it's just that it takes time to accept a new format. Initially, when they were told about it, it was obvious they would be shocked. However, they accepted the change and were enjoying the show later."
Hiten and Gauri Tejwani, who got the maximum votes from the audience, feel that the participants should have been informed about the new format in advance. "Who are we to vote somebody off? It is difficult to watch two couples, who are your friends, standing before you and then have to vote one of them off."
Dilemma of choice
Adds Gaurav Chopra, "What if both the couples are our friends? Also, this tactic could lead to the elimination of deserving candidates. What if the contestants decide that they will eliminate the couple who dances better, thereby making life easier for themselves?"
Sharad, Keerti fire choreographer
Sharad and Keerti
After Gurdip and Arjun Punjj, it's Sharad and Keerti Kelkar's turn to fire their choreographer.
Earlier, they worked with Kiran, who's now been replaced by Deepali Vichare. It's reported that the duo were unhappy with their choreography and have asked for a change.
Confirming this, Sharad said, "He was very arrogant and I didn't like the way he functioned. At the end of the day, our performance is important because that's what the judges rate us on."
Andar ki baat
Some interesting tid-bits from the second episode:
Rohit and Mansi Roy have hosted the second episode
Shweta Tiwari and Raja have scored well again
Gauri and Hiten need not fear elimination, for they've secured enough support from the public
Some contestants are angry that Sachin and Supriya referred to Hiten and Gauri as Karan and Nandini (their screen names in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi). They feel this will bring more support for them
Yash Tonkk was furious over Raja getting comments from the judges, while his improvement went unnoticed
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
