Blood on the dance floor?

Blood on the dance floor?

One channel…

Twenty of the biggest stars on Television…

One Ambition…

These were the only clues that stared up at me from the invite sent in by Star One. The mystery was solved with my trek to The J. W. Marriott that brought me face to face with life-size posters of the channel's new show Nach Baliye. Sameer Nair, COO, Star India Pvt. Ltd. calls it, "A thrilling new concept from Star One."

How thrilling, was soon revealed when a crowded Marriott Ballroom (an apt venue) witnessed the announcement of the show, which shows the promise of being quite a 'thrilling' one!

The Show: Nach Baliye is a dance competition like no dance competition ever to grace Indian television. It brings ten real-life celebrity (read television) married couples in a face-off, or rather, dance-off situation, where they will compete with each other, grooving, jiving, shaking… till they drop. Or make their competitors drop first.

So What?: Everything! The show that will be telecast at 9.00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will go on for ten tantalising weeks. The Tuesday and Wednesday episodes will focus on the reality aspect of the participants/the show, with the cameras zooming in on a TV couple at home, their families, their soft spots etc. Fridays will have them furiously booging to the beat, dancing to specially designed themes.

Great! And then?: These performances will be judged by a panel of eminent entertainment personalities. After the Thursday episode, viewers can SMS or telephone in their votes. At the end of each week the couple with the lowest ranking will lose their dancing shoes. In short, they'll be booted out! Until the climax in the tenth week, which will see the winning couple waltz away with the Nachi Baliye Champions trophy.

Good dancers?: Hardly! These couples are novices to dancing. Many might be able to shake a leg or two, but a lot of them do have two left feet. And thus, each couple has been assigned one choreographer to train them for their tension-filled Tuesdays. For instance, Supriya and Sachin Pilgaonkar have choreographers Al & Mel (assistants to Bosco & Caesar) to help them out while Rrajeshwari and Varun Badola have Rajeev Surti (assistant to Vaibhavi Merchant) to guide their dancing feet.

It's Different: The show claims to be India's first reality show featuring celebrities competing against one another. Also, the first time real-life celebrity/married couples appear in one show togetehr. Another first – television celebrities will allow cameras to peep into their private lives via Reality TV (Tues. and Wed. episodes, remember?). Judges will be looking, besides dancing talent, at compatibility, chemistry, popularity and coordination as a couple.

Who's the Anchor?: Celebrity hosts Shabir Ahluwalia and Sangita Ghosh will host the show which begins on October 11, 2005. Shabir has done serials like Kahin Toh Hoga, Kavyanjali and more, while Sangita has appeared in Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand and Mehendi Teri Naam Ki.

Plus Point: For the moment let's deviate from the stardust and focus on life beyond the dance floor. These celebrities, though married, are always away from one another, shooting for various serials. With this show they get a chance to be in one another's company. "The time spent together will be a blessing indeed," says Archana Puran Singh, who found hubby Parmeet's absence at home, while shooting for television 24x7, terrible. Parmeet terms his missing his wife and kids, a "torture". The serial thus will bond them, and other couples, even if it's for the short time they shoot the episodes. And besides making them shed blood on the dance floor, will bring harmony into their married lives.

— Julius D'Souza