Dear "Nach Baliye 2" Audience: š
Let me say that "Nach Baliye 2" has disappointed me somewhat as an avid watcher of the goings-on of this reality television show. First off, I am turned off by 1) the present format, 2) the judges' critique and behavior, and 3) the audience voting. Presently, I ask you, "Is there integrity left in the show?"
Present Format: In the second episode, I was shocked by the revelation of the new format of the show. But I was simultaneously pleasantly surprised by the show of solidarity and unity of the couples in allowing the decision to go to the judges rather than vote themselves on the couple Kekti and Rasik Dave, and Sharad Kelkar and Keerti Gaekwad in the second episode. Imagine my shock then to learn that the couples had opted to not do the same third episode! Even though, seven couples (an odd number compared to the even number of couples last time) had been left in the safe zone, one couple could have opted to not vote and tie themselves 3:3 allowing the decision to go to the judges yet again. And even if the couples had not done that, they should have at least voted for the better dancing couple. Instead, the majority chose to vote for Sharad Kelkar and Keerti Gaekwad probably because of two reasons: friendship and strategy to keept the less threatening couple in terms of dance finesse as competition. Even though I must admit that Gaurav Chopraa and Naryani Shastri were not my favorite couple, they were definitely one of the best dancers on the show. And it was sad to see them leave Nach Baliye 2, knowing that the better dancing couple had been voted out (as even Kunal Kohli had vociferously pointed out). And knowing that the better dancing couple Gaurav Chopraa and Naryani Shastri had been voted for only by Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan along with Hussein Kuwajerwala and Tina Darira had been harder, as that meant the other couples did not make use of their integrity in voting for the better dancing couple into the safe zone. The voting had been essentially 2:5 for the better dancing couple in the case. And what makes this format worse is that it could be that the ousted duo had more votes from the audience than their former counterparts. A tragedy indeed!
Judges' Critique and Behavior: Honestly, I am shocked time and again by either Saroj Khan's comments and/or behavior. In the first episode, she implied that that Shweta Kawaatra is manly. Like many others have recognized and remarked on the matter, this comment was wholly inappropriate and could have been better phrased to reflect the same criticism. In that same way, I did not like the fact that she took to heart the choreographer Kiran Giri's comment in the second episode about not having copied movements from the song "ishq kamina" of the movie Shakti on which Sharad Kelkar and Keerti Gaekwad danced; she gave the couple the all-low score of "4" saying it was for their choreographer Kiran Giri. As revealed in a later interview, Kiran Giri asserted that the couple Sharad and Keerti were extremely careless about rehearsals and did not dance on his choreographed steps per se in that round as they had improvised to such a degree that it did not reflect his own choreography. If taken in context, Kiran Giri's comments then were a reflection of his feelings and should not have been taken by Saroj Khan as an attack on her judgment inducing in her the need to "put him in his place" so-to-speak by giving the couple a lower score than she otherwise would have given. I also believe it was wrong for her to ask why the couple fired their choreographer when she did not question the judgment of Arjun Punj and Gurdeep Kohli for having done the same earlier. In one article, it was revealed that Saroj Khan wanted to stage a walk-out on Gauri Yadav and Yash Tonk in the third episode because of her belief that they were wrong to have taken help from outside sources; if both Kunal Kohli and Malaika Arora had not convinced her to stay, she would have walked out, never having heard the explanation that the couple gave. From the couple's excited shout-outs in the waiting room, the couple only wanted to thank their friends for helping and was not looking to get rebuked for an innocent mistake. It was inappropriate for Saroj Khan to imply less-than-honorable intentions at play without having proof first. And she definitely should not have given Shweta Tiwari and Raja Choudry that "10 points" if she did not feel that they had earned it. The credibility of all three judges' judgment rest on their unbiased assessment of dancing, and she shattered her own credibility with that rather idiotic move. Kunal Kohli has definitely improved from his first stint as a judge on the show in the first episode, and Malaika Arora handles everything like a pro. I think the drama should be left at the door to the stage set; otherwise, the audience is likely to feel cheated in matters of scores.
Audience Voting: I will be the first to admit that I am an avid fan of the couple Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan since the days of Kutumb. From reading previous articles, I knew that the couple had two left feet. When they danced in the first episode, I was disappointed by their dancing, but I knew that they were not good dancers to begin with. Since the show is supposed to aid untrained dancers in learning dancing from scratch, I wanted them to come back with a bang. However, they only showed tiny improvement the second time around, and they regressed in terms of performance in the third dance round. But from watching them and their competition, I can ascertain that this couple should not hold the title of winners for this show. And yet, I always stumble upon many posts asking the audience to vote for them.
Let me emphasize this: The show is about dancing, and it is fine for the audience to vote for them in the first two or three episodes with leniency hoping that they will improve. (Heck, I would have voted for them then!) But it is not right for the audience to keep voting for them, despite their less-than-mediocre performances. Had this show been about popularity, I would have been the first to jump on the bandwagon to ask for more votes for them. But this show is about dancing, and that should be the first and foremost judging criteria of the audience. Hiten and Gauri themselves in one interview said that they expected to be ousted the first round and said they were just there to have fun and learn dancing so they do not embarrass themselves dancing in pubs or clubs. In another interview, they said that they would like to go to Maldives or Sri Lanka should they win this competition; but when asked if they expect to win this competition or if even they are good, they shook their head and said no. In the third round, they voted for the better dancers Gaurav and Naryani because integrity is important to them. And as an audience member, integrity should be important to us too. I would think Nach Baliye 2 is a travesty of dancing should they win, and it breaks my heart to say this because I am a very big fan of them both. But alas, the unbiased critic in me demands that they not be voted for again and again unless they become great dancers! And certainly, they have not proved their mettle and do not seem up to task for this Herculean feat! So, I ask you to please vote not with bias but with your better judgment!
Sincerely,
Ek Umeed š
P.S. Realize that these are my opinions, and I recognize that you might not share my feelings. But I would like to assert in advance that I respect opinions of other people regardless of whether I agree with them or not and expect the same consideration in return. Thanks for taking the time to read.
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