REMO D'SOUZA RELIVES THE JDJ-T2 article

This is your second season of judging Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. How would you rate this season vis--vis the previous one?

I think this was the best season of the show. The panel of judges was very new and novel… the line-up of celebrity contestants has been very good this year. The quality of dancing was top-notch. There were some very talented people, especially in the second half of the season. We got good contestants from the wild-card round, two of whom (Rithvik Dhanjani and Rashmi Desai) are in the finals. It was fun.

Your top moments from this season?

There were lots of favourite moments. First was to see (Sanath) Jayasuriya dance. I have been a fan of his and to see a legend like him show another dimension to his personality on the dance floor was truly awesome. Isha (Sharvani) was truly a revelation… there are no words to express how far she can go as a dancer. Then from the wild-card round, we got fabulous dancers like Rithvik and Rashmi.

Who has gone from two left feet to major mover?

I would say Gurmeet Choudhury because when he first came in, he was very stiff and now he excels at almost all dance forms. And then there was Shibani (Dandekar) who, I thought, really went from being an average dancer to someone who could hold centre stage with her moves.

How was it judging the show with Madhuri Dixit and Karan Johar?

I am very comfortable with both of them. Madhuri and I have been on the panel since last season and this time having Karan as a judge greatly enriched the panel. Madhuri is the diva of dance and Karan has a very keen aesthetic as far as dance is concerned, and judging the show with them was a cakewalk for me.

Your "romantic" track with contestant Bharti Singh has been the pull factor of this season…

I never thought something like this would happen (laughs). She started it off at the launch of the show itself where she kept saying that she had a crush on me. I was very, very embarrassed. I thought it would stop but then she kept it going. Now I don't react actually (laughs). But everyone is loving that track on the show… the way she flirts with me… so I guess no complaints. All for the sake of the show. I am even performing with her in the finale, so watch out for that!

Your pick as Jhalak winner?

All three of them (Rithvik, Rashmi and Gurmeet) are deserving contestants. It's very difficult for me to pick one because I will be happy if any of them wins since they are such brilliant dancers in their own right.

The grand finale of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa airs on Saturday and Sunday at 9pm on Colors