Nach Baliye 2: What's different? New names, new hosts and a new judge promise to make the second season very interesting Tushar Joshi
tushar.joshi@mid-day.com
The first season of Nach Baliye literally danced up a storm on Star One last year. And this year, there are a lot of new additions in hopes of giving the viewers something different. Even as the channel gears up to announce the 10 couples tomorrow, we've learnt that there are atleast three non-celebrities on the show, along with a new set of hosts and probably even a new judge.
Standing tall
Three couples will stand out among the rest: Ketaki Dave (best remembered as Daksha ben of Kyunki…) and her husband Rasik, Shweta Tiwari (Prerna of Kasautii…) and Raja Choudhary, and Hussain (Sumeet of Kumkum) and his wife Tina. With each of these jodis, one partner is not a TV actor or as well known as their counterpart. Even though Hussain is very popular and has a huge fan following, this will be Tina's first public appearance on TV.
Similarly, not many know that Ketaki's husband is a well-known theatre actor, while Raja has acted in bit roles on television before and has now taken to direction. Says a source on the show, "Last year, all our couples were celebrities. This year, with the inclusion of names like Tina, Rasik and Raja, it becomes more interesting."
Terrific dancers
Although none of the actors are willing to confirm their participation just yet, our source reveals that Shweta managed to juggle her dates for Kasautii Zindagii Kay for the show. "Shweta's inclusion in the show is largely due to the fact that she could adjust her Balaji dates with us. Ekta and Shobha Kapoor really helped in sorting her dates out. Even though she's a fabulous dancer, she's not too comfortable with the dance sequences on her show. So this will give her an opportunity to really get into the groove. Raja will be some one to watch out for, as he has surprised everyone with his moves during rehearsals."
As for Tina and Hussain's inclusion, the source says, "Hussain was very keen on taking part in Nach Baliye. He's a terrific dancer and everyone knows him for his powerhouse performances. So when he made up his mind, it was just a matter of days before Tina got mentally prepared to face the challenge. Among the men, Hussain will be one of the toughest competitors."
The source adds that Ketaki may turn out to be the dark horse in the race. "Ketaki is vibrant, energetic and full of life and that comes across in her rehearsals. She, along with Rasik, will definitely be a couple to watch out for."
New hosts, judge
Another interesting development in season 2 is the probability of two new faces hosting the show. According to the buzz, Sangeeta Ghosh and Shabbir Ahluwalia have made way for new names. They have been kept a secret even from the participants. Says an actor who is participating in the show, "They have told us that the hosts will be different from last year. But we don't know the names. It's supposed to be a huge surprise."
Saroj Khan and Malaika Arora Khan will continue with their judging duties, while Farhan Akhtar has been replaced by Kunal Kohli (director of Fanaa). Confirms the source, "We wanted Farhan to continue, but he may not be able to commit that much time to the show as he is busy with the post production of his film Don. So we have approached Kunal."
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