Akshjadeep approached 4 Jhalak Dilkla Jaa

Aman, Rati approached for Jhalak Dikhla Ja

Sony sends feelers to several stars to participate in the show that launches in September
Vickey Lalwani
vickey.lalwani@mid-day.com

Aman Varma, Amarr Upadhyay, Akashdeep Saigal, Bhumika Chawla, Sanjeev Kapoor, Kapil Dev, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ajay Jadeja, Pooja Bedi and Rati Agnihotri are some of the names that have been approached to participate in Sony's forthcoming show, Jhalak Dikhla Ja. Eight of these will eventually be finalised.
Says Rati, "I haven't been dancing for years. Anil (her husband) doesn't dance, so I am left watching the fun on most occasions. But this is one occasion where I'm going to have a ball."
Aman says, "There is a slight issue of dates. I have to give them two days every week, so let's see how it goes."
It is rumoured that Akashdeep Saigal will step into Varma's shoes if he cannot do the show.
Bi-weekly show
Says a Sony official, "Yes, these names have been approached. The moment we finalise the list, we will start making the promos."
Jhalak Dikhla Ja is an adaptation of American TV network ABC's reality show, Dancing With the Stars. Dancing with the Stars is the American version of the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing. Co-produced by Siddhartha Basu's Synergy Communications and Theatre Red, the show will be a bi-weekly and will involve a high level of audience participation and viewer interactivity. The show is scheduled to launch in the first week of September.
The concept of the show is to pair a celebrity with a professional dancer in an attempt to win a high score from a panel of judges. Then the couple has to secure a majority of votes from the viewers, who can call in or vote online. One pair will be eliminated every week.