There's tremendous chemistry b/w us:Pooja

Hanif Hilal and Pooja Bedi

Jhalak is down to the last three contestants. Who do you think will win?
The joy of watching reality television is that you have to expect the unexpected.

So one can't possibly place a safe bet on any one of them. Looking at the finalists, Shveta Salve is a fantastic dancer, Mahesh Manjrekar is high on histrionics and Mona Singh is extremely popular. If one has to judge by merit, then Shveta is a sure winner. If one considers the original concept of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, there should not have been a seasoned dancer like her on the show. The focus should have been on the learning curve of contestants who are non-dancers.

Do you follow the show every week?
I watch it as and when I get time. The entire environment that was created during my ouster was overwhelming. When Hanif (Hilal, her choreographer) and I went for the next gala after being eliminated, everybody jumped on us and there was a lot of hugging. It felt so good. You feel more wanted than eliminated. And yes, I've visited the sets later on with laddoos from the Tirupati temple.

Who was the most disappointed when you were voted out?
Everybody — family, friends and fellow contestants came up and said they were disappointed. They kept saying that we didn't deserve it. We were knocked out first. It was quite gratifying to know that people were shocked rather than happy at our ouster.

Has the show helped you in any way?
The show has helped me in multiple ways: I have become a better dancer, it's given me tremendous exposure, it broke my Zoom gal mould and I earned a lot of friends.

You have become pretty close to your choreographer Hanif…
We became extremely close during the many, many weeks of rehearsals for Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Hanif is great fun to be with and he's a wonderful companion. He's single and I'm single too. I'm happy to ask him to come along with me for movies, parties and other events.

He wants to get into the modelling circuit and Bollywood as well. So I introduce him to the people I know. And yes, he's still teaching me Latin dancing as he wants me to be the best dancer. We have composed two pieces, a rumba and a salsa, which will be the opening act at various shows.

How would you describe your relationship with him?
He's somebody I'm really close to. I won't deny the fact that there's tremendous chemistry between us and it's quite apparent. But let me also say that we will take our time before it blossoms into a full-fledged relationship. I don't want to jump into anything foolishly.

Are you wary of relationships after your divorce?
Not at all. I have had a couple of boyfriends post my divorce. I'm not afraid to love or be loved. It's a different story that nothing blossomed into a long-term relationship.

Do your children like Hanif?
My kids are fond of him. They call him funny man!

Isn't Hanif younger than you?
Age matters when you are looking at school admissions. It's not at all important when it comes to potential relationships. What matters are areas of interest and compatibility. We have done away with society's pre-designated, regressive norms like sati and dowry. I'm sure the age thing will also change.

Are you drawn to younger men?
A potential suitor can always be younger than me!

Any word of advice from papa Kabir?
I lead my life on my own terms. But yes, whenever I'm floundering I fall back on his views.

http://www.mid-day.com/hitlist/2006/october/145026.htm