May the best lady win: Article

This Friday, the final episode of popular dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa' will finally unveil its winner. After eight weeks of scintillating performances, the contest has now narrowed down to the two finalists, Shveta Salve and Mona Singh, who've both wowed judges as well as audiences with their dance moves.
The winner will walk away with the prize money of a whopping Rs. 50 lakh. And contrary to media reports, the prize money will be split equally between the contestant and her choreographer. That had been the rule right from the beginning of the show. The eight contestants were paid for every level they reached, so the person who got eliminated in the first round (Pooja Bedi) obviously didn't make much moolah on the show! The choreographers were also paid by the channel for every episode they shot for. Similarly the costumes for both the partners were paid for by the channel.
All eight contestants will come back on the show to perform for the last episode on Friday. While that portion will be pre-recorded, the last 15 minutes of the show, where the results will be declared will be telecast live. There is no runner-up prize money, so the loser quite literally will get nothing except the money she gets for that one episode. The final dance has already been performed, the judges have given their marks, it now depends on you, the audience, on who to crown the queen of dance. So who will finally clinch the crown? Our guess is as good as yours! Afternoon decided to ask viewers who they thought should be the winner; and it seems that Shveta Slave has a slight edge with more admirers than Mona Singh!

Here's what the participants have to say...

Shveta Salve
For me, the finals took place the last time Mona and I performed. The judges gave me excellent marks and I really hope the audience does that too! I'm very happy with Longi and my performance, I'm glad it was appreciated so well by the judges. I danced like a maniac, which was quite evident on screen! I knew I had to give my best shot, no matter what. I hope the audience sees all the hard work we've put in, they should remember it's a dance competition and not judge it according to an actor's popularity. I just wish the most deserving person wins! The show's been an amazing experience for me, I couldn't have asked for better exposure. And to be applauded by such senior people is humbling. I hope all my hard work pays off in the end.

LonginEs Fernandes
I'm convinced about my performance, the judges have also said what they had to say; now it's up to the audience to decide whom they want to see as the winner. I'm happy with Shveta and my performance; we've both put in our best efforts and it's shown on screen. All I'd like to tell the audience is that they should vote keeping in mind all the dances. The show has been a fantastic experience for me. I've had more exposure in 10 weeks than I ever had in 10 years! It is one of the biggest achievements of my career. If we win, it'll be great but even if we don't, that'll be ok because we know we gave it our best shot.

Mona Singh
I think I've come a long way since the first episode; it's been major growth for me both as a person and as an actor. This show is for non-dancers and when I came I had two left feet but over the months, Toby taught me how to dance, and we'd have 8 to 10 hours of rehearsals everyday! I'm quite confident about winning, we've both worked really hard and for a non-dancer to reach the finals is really amazing, I think. All I'd like to tell the audience when they vote is to keep in mind the improvement I've made over the weeks. I got their love and support during my 'Jassi' days and I hope they support me again! I'm here to work and the experience on Jhalak has been really phenomenal. It was difficult and I'm proud of reaching the finals. I've made new friends and set a new trend that even non-dancers can learn and get better. And to reach the finals just shows that the audience appreciates me. That's good enough for me!

Toby Fernandes
I'm not really bothered about winning or losing. I'm very satisfied with the way we've performed and the way the audience has responded to us has been really amazing. I think Mona has achieved quite a lot in these eight weeks. The way she's improved in her dancing style, lot so much weight, is really nice. I already consider us as winners. We've shown the audience what we can do and I hope that they notice it. I'd just like to tell the audience to remember the hard work we've put in and the way we've improved over the weeks before they vote. The experience I've had on the show has been nothing short of terrific. It's been an amazing platform and I'm happy with the exposure I've got. Wherever I go people recognise me and that's the ultimate high. What my future plans are? I can afford to hike my prices, irrespective of the result of the show...

Toby is the best!😉