With the new season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa about to begin today, we got the participants to talk about their closest competitor, their chances of winning and their favourite contestant from the previous season. Read on...
The makers have upped the competition this year by roping in the best of dancers on the show. Originally, it was about non-dancers but over the years Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa has been leaning more towards celebrities who can dance. This year too everybody from the little Akshat Singh to cricketer Sreesanth to the sexy Sophie can do a hot salsa or the sensual tango with equal ease. Here’s their take on the competition and chances of winning the show...
I have 99% chance of winning: Sophie Choudry
Favourite contestant last season: Dhrasti, because she was shooting all day and night juggling two shows. Shaan has a special place in my heart. He started out as a non-dancer but his growth was tremendous. He got so far and experimented with so many concepts. He was definitely my favourite.
Chances of winning: I am putting in my 200 per cent and my chances of winning are 99 per cent.
Closest competitor: This will be the toughest season simply because all the contestants can dance. I am scared of every single one of them. Ashish Sharma has an image as he is doing a serial and Palak will give me competition in the hotness quotient!
I am winning this show!: Sreesanth
Favourite contestant from last season: Salman (Yusuff Khan) and Drashti, who eventually won the show. I am a huge fan of Salman and Punit (Pathak). Punit is good in locking and popping stuff. Salman is versatile. I have done the opening act with Salman and I will surely love to learn from him and Punit.
Chances of winning: Chances? I am winning the show, I don’t look at percentages. There can be better dancers, amazingly good looking people, but I am here to win. I am in it to win it.
Closest competitor: No one but myself. Every single day I have to be at my best every moment. I don’t have any competition.
My chances of winning? 100%
Palak aka Kiku Sharda
Favourite contestant from last season: Frankly, I saw only Drashti and Lauren’s act because they are genuinely good dancers.
Chances of winning: 100 per cent.
Closest competitor: Palak has no competition.
Purab Kohli
Favourite contestant from last season: I like Lauren. She is a fantastic dancer. I caught myself watching a lot of her performances. You can tell she is a dancer, especially the one dance in which kept going round and round! It was a pleasure to watch.
Chances of winning: I can dance, I am not afraid of that but impressing audiences is a tough job. Having said that I would say my chances of winning are 100 per cent.
Closest competitor: There are lots of great dancers. This is the first full house of dancers in the show right from Akshat to Palak’s interesting character. Shakti is a good dancer but I think in terms of image Ashish and Karan will be my biggest competitiors.
Kritika Kamra
Favourite contestant from last season: Lauren. She was so inspiring and she did acts that were never seen on Indian television before. Drashti is a friend and was a deserving winner.
Chances of winning: Everybody is here to win. I do feel I need to work really hard. We have seen non-dancers who have turned out to be fabulous, but my immediate goal is to get 30 on 30!
Closest competitor: Everbody is a good dancer. I am the only one, who is least experienced and out of my comfort zone here. Right now I want to live up to my choreographer’s expectations. Also, I think the journey in the show counts to begin with.
Mouni Roy
Favourite contestant last season: Lauren and Punit. They were brilliant. Everytime they would come up with bigger and better performances. Their concepts were mindblowing — they were poetry in motion. I remember the Shama parwana act. Me and a friend were moved to tears. It was so emotional.
Chances of winning: Divide 100 per cent by 16 weeks and every week one per cent will increase.
Closest competitor: This year everybody is good. At least, last year there were some variations, even in the calibre. But from what I have seen during the rehearsals everybody is good this year. Also with names like Kritika, Karan, Pooja and myself, I don’t really know what the audience will be thinking when they are about to vote. Every single person is a competitor, but I have a feeling Shakti will be brilliant.
Karan Tacker
Favourite contestant last season: I have actually not seen a lot of Jhalaks except for Drashti, Salman and Punit’s performances. Honestly, I got scared. But I was biased towards Drashti because she’s a friend. And of course, she was deserving and she won!
Chances of winning: I don’t understand dancing per se. I know a little bit of acting. Winning toh door ki baat hai. I have come here to learn dancing and have fun. Frankly, I took part in the show for my mother. My parents are excited about seeing me on the show. In fact, they came for my first performance without telling me because they thought it would make me conscious. They co-ordinated with my choreographer. Everyday they ask me what I have rehearsed and whether I have uploaded the video?
Closest competitor: I believe this show is about the journey of the contestant, the struggle and competition with oneself. You come here at a certain level of dancing. When you get eliminated or win, you’ve to see to what level you have graduated have or upscaled your dance. That is the real competition.
Sukhwinder Singh
Favourite contestant last season: I did not see the last season, but this year I have my favourites. They are Shakti and Sophie Choudry.
Chances of winning: 100 per cent. There are two ways we will be judged. As a dancer, the performance and as a singer who has never danced professionally.
Closest competitor: Competition does not exist in my DNA. I have come on a professional dance platform but I will do whatever I can. with masti.
Akshat Singh
Favourite contestant last season: Drashti didi, because she dances very well and I like her.
Chances of winning: I have not come here to compete. I want to have some fun and dance.
Closest competitor: I have to compete with myself and give my best.
Andy
Favourite contestant last season: Drashti and Lauren because they dance very well. That’s why they were among the top two!
Chances of winning: (Laughs) I says no chances, but I will try my best.
Closest competitor: I compete with myself. Also, I have not seen anyone performing so it is hard to tell.
Shakti Mohan
Favourite contestant last season: Lauren was my favourite because she is a dancer and so am I.
Chances of winning: Well, I have not come here to win or compete with anyone, I have come here just to dance.
Closest competitor: I have not seen anyone dancing, I so can’t tell now.
Ashish Sharma
Favourite contestant last season: I never followed the show because of time constraints, so can’t answer.
Chances of winning: I am not thinking about winning or losing but 110 per cent I’ll be leaving as a better dancer and an enriched individual.
Closest competitor: I guess the format is not about competing with others, it’s about individual growth. I am my own competitor. I want to better myself each and every time.
Pooja Banerjee
Favourite contestant last season: Lauren and Drashti were fabulous.
Chances of winning: Nil. I have come here to dance and have fun.
Closest competitor: I have to compete with myself.
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