The more the merrier or so it seems to be the case with Jhalak house. As seven dashing celebrities vye for a position on the reality show through a wild card entry, SANGEETA YADAV tells you who has the best chance to win and which celebrity is high on entertainment quotient
Seven contestants, one stage and once in a lifetime opportunity — dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (JDJ) on Colors is poised at a very exciting phase and this week, the drama has only doubled. With the elimination of four contestants from JDJ, all eyes are on the wild card entry contestants who are going to compete with each other and two winners will join the rest to fight for the Jhalak trophy and the prize money. The list is impressive — Rohit Roy, Vatsal Seth, Mukti Mohan, Sana Saeek, RJ Mantra, Karan Patel and Rochelle Maria Rao. There is also a remote possibility that the judges will choose a third contestant.
Call him an RJ, actor or a commentator, RJ Mantra has proved his mettle in every genre. Now he has donned another hat, that of a dancer. “I’ve recently done a movie titled Dil Patang. Though I’m playing the lead character in this movie, I don’t have a solo dance number. So apni bhadaas nikalne ke liye idhar aa gaya,” Mantra tells you with a laugh.
He considers himself a decent dancer but stresses on being a performer. “I’m a decent dancer and an all-rounder. That should work in my favour. I don’t believe in differentiating the fields of work. For me, JDJ is not just about a dance battle. There is a lot more to it,” Mantra says.
Rohit Roy who shot to fame through TV shows like Swabhimaan (1995), Tujhpe Dil Qurbaan (1999), Milan (1999), and movies like Dus Kahaniyaan (2007) is now all set to put on his dancing shoes. “I’ve been associated with JDJ as a host in the previous season. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ambience is very positive and inspiring. When this offer came to me, I didn’t think twice. Now that I’m back on the Jhalak set, it’s like déjà vu. I want to leave a lasting impression at the end. But the fact that I’ll be competing with my friends, is going to be very tough,” Roy who has been paired with Suchitra Sawant, says.
Will Rohit’s charisma make him the ideal candidate for JDJIJ “I’ve danced a lot in my previous movies and TV shows. But I have never performed as a learner so this will be a test for me. Earlier, I had only grooved to Bollywood numbers but now I will be stepping out of my comfort zone. let’s see how it goes,” Roy who will be performing a free style on this wild card round, says.
According to him, Vatsal Seth who debuted in Bollywood with Taarzan: The Wonder Car, is the best dancer amongst the seven wild card candidates. But Vatsal disagrees and says that being a non-dancer, it’ll be a great challenge to set himself apart amongst others. “I’m not a dancer. I have always refused to be a part of dance reality shows before. But now I realise that I have got to face my fear and JDJ is the best platform to start with. In the wild card performance, I’ll be dancing on a mixed romantic style,” Seth tells you.
A Bharatnatyam and contemporary dancer by profession, Mukti Mohan will be grooving with choreographer Altaf on a contemporary dance form. “After participating in Zara Nachke Dikha, I focused on my acting career and did a lot of theatre. I was a part of Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo with Kapil Sharma and did movies like Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster and other Tamil films,” Mohan says.
She is the youngest sibling of Niti and Shakti Mohan, who are great dancers and Mohan is busy getting expert advice from them.
“My sisters are dance teachers. I’ve got in-house teaching from them. Madhuriji is also a great inspiration to me. I used to follow her dance and expressions very keenly and imbibe those steps in my dancing style,” Mohan says.