| | | Shevta Salve and fiance Rodney Barnes | Comparisions may be odious, but Star One's Nach Baliye still lingers. A dance show that followed last year's superhit show had to be bigger and better.
We were ready to be wooed but JDL has left us cold. Also, the format of three judges and one of two hosts waiting backstage had a lot of NB recall.
To be fair, we don't remember whether we liked the Nach Baliye jingle from the word go, but it sure was catchy. Jhalak... may or may not grow on us. Also, the show's set resembled a yesteryear Bolly film set, almost like we'd been transported to the '70s.
Rip the script
The script was trite, tired and tacky. We yawned each time Parmeet told the contestants, "Meri dharampatni backstage wait kar rahi hai". At one point he even said, "Aapki bhabhi backstage wait kar rahi hai". Did they kidnap the writer of a Bhojpuri flim to pen the the lines? And what was with that 'Tak dhina dhin' after every break?
Only band, no baaja
There was a band present on the set but were they just for show? We noticed them sitting idle with their instruments in the background! Since they were not playing, what was the need to place the musicians as mute props? For stage effect, perhaps? It's a dance show for Pete's sake, so give us the muzik! | | | |
Pooja Bedi and Mahesh Manjrekar at the after party | | Butler service
Whoever styled Parmeet Sethi, should be shot. He looked like a butler, not an anchor. And Farah Khan kept referring to him as Bittu (his pet name).
The thing you need to know about TV stars: they're better known as their screen names rather than their real names. So using pet names is stretching the familiarity a tad bit.
Dress circle
Apparently, there is no single dress designer for the show. Each contestant is up to their own thing with individual designers.
And the results showed. The costumes were extremely outlandish, some even scary. Was it necessary for the contestants to wear loud, garish colours coupled with flowers, glitter, frills and flounces? Please hire a designer, ASAP. Especially for Rati Agnihotri.
Main solah baras ki
What was with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's sugary act with Rati Agnihotri?
Agreed Ek Duje Ke Liye was a rage, and that the actress was dancing again after 24 years. She was fun, but did she deserve the high points?
Mr Bhansali, the show is about dancing, not nostalgia. It might help to remember that next time. And while on him, we prefer the scowling Bhansali way more than the smiling Bhansali. Please come back, all's forgiven!
Where's Lady Luck?
Bechara Akashdeep! He got the lowest scores on the first show. Frankly, there were others who performed a lot worse. We liked Akash's act but Lady Luck wasn't smiling down on him. His choreographer thought Akash was good, and we thought she was terrific too. At least they made for some much-needed eye candy.
Ajay jaaa
Ajay Jadeja was annoying, to say the least. If only he could prove his skills through his steps and not his highhanded talking. Rea, his choreographer, certainly has one tough student on her hands.
Oooh Mona!
She dressed right to hide all the extra inches and surprise, surprise, moved well too. The erstwhile Jassi did her steps well with choreographer Tobby. Last night, truly Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin thi!
Shilpa: It's only words
Shilpa Shetty sure knew what she was talking about. Her comments were precise and to the point, she wasn't fawning over anyone and wasn't the wallflower that everyone expected her to be. Take a bow, lady.
| | | Ravi Behl, Archana and Javed Jaffrey | Meethi churi
And now, for our favourite judge, Farah Khan. She had us right from her oh-so-sweet entry, and was the fairest judge of them all (like duh!). She calls a spade a spade. We like that. But wasn't she a tad harsh on Akash? We thought so.
Sweet!
And, of course, super chef Sanjeev Kapoor had us eating out of his hands. His act was the cutest, especially the part where he rips off his chef's outfit and then the staid moustache. Totally hilarious! We thought Mahesh Manjrekar was cool too. | | Arshad gives Jhalak a thumbs up
Arshad Warsi used to be a professional dancer, so he should know. At the age of 21, he participated in the World English Jazz Dancing Competition and won the fourth prize.
Such is his love for dance, that he wants to establish an academy to teach modern jazz and also make a film on dance someday. So he was our top choice for a review on Sony's new show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Read on for Arshad's take on the show.
Judge Jules
I watched the show and thought it was fabulous. Apart from the dancing, the judging and the set too looked nice. I liked the part they showed in the beginning where the participants had zero confidence, looked overweight and unfit, and from that you see them coming on stage and giving some amazing performances. It just went to show their hard work and level of dedication towards the competition. I liked they way Farah judged the contestants and gave them marks. As some one who enjoys dancing and watching a performance, I really had a good time.
You rock, man!
I was totally bowled over by Mahesh Manjrekar and Ajay Jadeja. These guys were the surprise package. Even Mona (Singh) for that matter was good. I don't know if she dances this well off screen too. I think Mahesh and Ajay were having a genuinely good time, and that was evident from their expressions.
Even Sanjeev Kapoor stunned me as he had some serious Latin moves going on there! I haven't judged a dance show on television, but have been to various competitions. For me, it's all about having a good time. If I see some one who carries himself well, is good at his dance and is having a blast, then he's my man.
Have a blast
If there's anything I would like to tell these contestants, then I'd say just remember it's all about enjoying yourselves. Even though it is a serious dance competition, I hope everybody has a good time at the end of the day. Maria (Goretti, his wife) was sitting next to me glued to the TV and voting for her favourite dancers. This is just the first episode and in time the show and the dancing of these contestants will get much better and more enjoyable.
As told to Tushar Joshi | | |
Kumkum Bhagya
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Shiv Shakti
