Very Verve: Tina Darira-Kuwajerwala

A completely unknown entity when Star One's dance reality show, Nach Baliye 2, started, she swirled her way into viewers' hearts by the time it reached its glittering finale. The wife of small screen heart-throb, Hussain Kuwajerwala, proved to be the mysterious X factor of the celebrity couples' contest. Surely, it was her petite presence in Jodi No 8 that tilted the balance in its favour.

Two days after the midnight win when the couple netted Rs 20 lakhs and the trophy, the 'dark horse' laughs out loud at any such suggestions. "Just because I am not a TV star myself," says 27-year-old Tina Darira-Kuwajerwala, "most people do not know anything about me." Relaxing on her wedding anniversary a few days after the show, she tells me that she has known Hussain for the last ten years, since the time they were both students in Jai Hind College, Mumbai. The Sindhi girl and the Muslim lad obviously shared a great 'chemistry' even then and dated for nine years before taking the plunge into matrimony. "Parental objections was one of the reasons I preferred to keep a low profile," she states. All that is water under the bridge, says the commerce graduate who went on to acquire a degree in fashion designing from the B D Somani Institute of Art and Fashion Technology. Today, she - with her mother - exports western garments for women under her label, Casual Studio.

Her startling looks and emotive acts were enough to send the viewers on a messaging spree. I am still moved by the cameo of pain she created in her solo performance, the couple's blindfolded act and the red ribbon performance. "Neither Hussain nor I can take credit for the innovations," she says. "We did exactly what our choreographers, Harshal-Vitthal, told us to do."

Tina insists that she is not being modest when she says, "I do not believe in myself and am not really a make-up person. At the most I use a compact to hide my dark circles. I got my portfolio done and did some campaigns for brands like Sunsilk, Nakshatra and Ponds…but I could not see myself making a career out of it. I am shy and conscious when there are too many people around. I need to know someone very well before I can open up and become my normal bubbly self."

She loved the first season of Nach Baliye and would tease Hussain that they would never find themselves there since she was not a celebrity. But director, Deepak Gattani, noticed them on Jodi Kamaal Ki and they got the call: "My first reaction was an appalled silence. My family and friends were amused. I was sure that we would not get any votes. The other contestants put me at ease. Gauri (Pradhan) taught me how to put on make-up. Shweta (Kawaatra) assured me that she was equally nervous…I adjusted well only because I was completely pampered on the sets."

Performances followed in weekly succession and Tina settled into the rhythm. In one episode, she and Hussain burnt up the dance floor with their steamy moves. "I was worried about the reaction of my family. I was wearing a dress with slits. No one had seen me in anything like that before and we were known as a cute couple, but it worked...."

The rest is history…. "I cannot believe it is all over. I am already missing the excitement and the fun of being a part of it all." What next? "I have no experience of acting and am not too fluent in Hindi. If something interesting comes up, I might decide to make the producers tear their hair out, just as my choreographers did...."