With Mukti Mohan out, four livewire celebs are all set to fight it out at the Jhalak House. Nothing will be easy for either of them as they put on their dancing shoes for the grand finale next week. Deebashree Mohanty speaks with the fab four to give you a dekko
Phoren se lauren
Salsa is on her fingertips, contemporary ballet her forte, jazz her favourite dance form and broadway freestyle her newest lesson — lauren Gottlieb is a seasoned dancer and the strongest contender for the Jhalak trophy this season. The only thing stopping this diva from desi fame is the puppet doll duo. “Sonali and Sumanth are like little puppets, they utilise the entire stage, excel in acrobatics and can do just about any dance form with elan. I have been dancing since I was eight, but I feel I have a long way to go when I see these two children performing. They put the stage on fire,” she says, allowing herself only a two-minute break in between rigourous practice ahead of the grand finale.
Preps: Going great. I have been sleeping in the studios for the past week and a half. Puneet Pathak is stretching me out to give it the one last big shot.
Final performance: Is going to be dhamakedaar. We have always tried to do something out-of-the-box and will not disappoint in the coming episodes. We have unimaginable moves up our sleeve to stun you.
Yeh dosti: Aarti Chhabaria was a great pal. I felt very sad when she was voted out. She is a wonderful dancer who did not fit in. Wish shehad stayed on.
Big Challenge: Performing a pure Indian classical in the audience farmaishi section was my toughest call. I was lucky to have scored 27!
Shudh desi feeling: I was happy when Karan Johar said I have an Indian connect. I have tried my best to learn the language and desi adaas. I have learnt so much Hindi that whenever I speak with my family in the US, a word or two slips in. They are amused.
Jhalak & after: I have heard a lot about India’s film industry and won’t mind being a part of it. Have been reading some scripts but won’t be jumping into anything in a hurry.
Kids Wonder
They came, went into an unbelievable whirls, stole hearts and walked away with perfect scores 17 times in the show — a record! But eight-year-old Sonali and her 13-year-old dancing partner Sumanth are hungry for the trophy. It would be perfect icing on the cake to get the Jhalak trophy after winning India’s Got Talent, Season IV. “We are desperate for a win. Apart from the prize money and the work we will get, we are also looking forward to all the fame and recognistion. Our parents have worked very hard for us to get us to this platform. We are not going to let them down. Not at this stage,” Sumanth, who hails from Odisha, tells you.
Preps: Our choreographer has asked us to be focused all the time. There is very little time for masti. We also prefer it that way. Both Sonali and I want to be known as the greatest dance stars that India has ever had. And we will put in our 200 per cent to achieve that goal.
Movers & shakers: It is not just acrobatics and lifts that we are proficient with. Everyone has seen our other dance performances. We have got standing ovations by our judges on two occasions, one was for the lifts (Remo sir said that was a wow moment in every second) and the other was for our semi-classical contemporary. Actually, we are much more than just movers and shakers.
Made for each other: I love to perform with Sumanth because he understands my moves. I have complete faith in him that he will never drop me or that he will be there to lift me at the right time. Some of the lifts we orchestrated were very dangerous but Sumanth makes them look like makkhan. I love him bhaiyya.
Big Challenge: Our biggest threat are lauren and Puneet who are also great dancers. I wish there could be two winners instead of one.
Final performance: We had been practising for one particular move during our India’s Got Talent days but were unable to carry it through. In this finale you will see that move.
Bollyowood calling: We have signed up for a few commercials and will start shooting by the yearend but no Bollywood films as of now.
Shaan se aaye,shaan se rahey
Surprise surprise! Shaan, the singer-turned-dancer, has made it all the way to the final and he is super kicked about it. Buzz is that Shaan is one of the most liked participants in the Jhalak House. He is also, incidentally, the most voted personality. Don’t be surprised if Shaan walks away with the final trophy.
Prep time: Meri to lag gayee hai. Pagalon ke tarah we are practising. I am pleased that Marischa is back as my partner. She is a very capable choreographer. For the past week, I have been dancing for 18 hours a day. I don’t think I have rehearsed as much for anything ever.
True entertainer: I have been lucky with the judges but I don’t think at this stage there is any partiality that happens. They will not go soft on any participant. They have also made me go that extra level.
If I win: I will be too shocked myself. Bechare logon ka kya hogaIJ On a more serious note, I hope nothing of that sort happens. I would want Jhalak to end on a high note, not on a shocking surprise (laughs). For me, both lauren and Sonali are winners. But Drasti is a very strong contender too. As for me, mein to yoonhi chala chal rahee hoon.
Drashti’s Vision
If there is one thing Drashti Dhaami can’t do it is to sit idle. She loves to act and was mighty afraid of dancing for starters. But after this stint with Jhalak, this 28-year-old actress who has excelled as Madhubala on Colors is much more confident about her moves. “Earlier, I used to shy away from visiting dance pubs with my friends. Everytime I had the same excuse — I have two left feet. Now, I think I have shut them up forever. They will never bug me to dance with them on the floor. I am very proud of myself. A lot of the credit for this goes to Salman who is a very strict choreographer,” Dhaami says.
Jeetna hi hai: Competition is tough but I will feel miserable if I don’t win anything. It is a great platform and I would want to emerge winner. That will be the defining moment for me. Having said that, I know lauren and Sonali-Sumanth have a better chance. So, let’s see.
Madhuri hangup: One reason why I said yes to JDJ was because I wanted to share a few moments with Madhuri Dixit. She is a diva and my role model. I am happy that I got to meet her in person. The icing was when I danced with the likes of Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor. These men are super celebs!
Bigg Boss callingIJ: It is definitely something I would like to do. Who wouldn’tIJ But no such offer as yet. I told Salman Khan I will be too keen to be in the House. But for now, I have too much on my plate. I have to get back full-time to Madhubala.