Model-turned-actor and reality show regular Kushal Punjabi is annoyed and hurt after his unexpected ouster from Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7. The versatile handsome hunk of TVdom has tried his hands at various things and emerged a winner in most of them. When he was voted out recently, the actor tells Deebashree Mohanty, it was sheer agony and, of course, disbelief
Tough luck for you at the Jhalak house...
Absolutely. I am trying my best to sort it out in my head. I can’t understand, if I am a superior dancer and a better performer, then why am I outIJ Karan Johar says on national TV that I am a far more superior dancer than Kiku who was also competing with me in the face-off round. Then why is he in and I outIJ Doesn’t make any sense to me.
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (JDJ) has become only about entertainment and the dance element has lost focus. It is obvious with the choice of the contestants. Pure dancers have no scope but entertainers are being encouraged even if they are not great dancers.
You stormed into the show on a wild card and your performances were remarkable. What went wrongIJ
I don’t know. I have scored highly in all episodes. My friends tell me that I am a perfect performer and the judges had great things to say about my dance and style. Probably, the entire voting concept needs to be made transparent. There are too many loopholes. For instance, I need to be shown proof that I got lesser votes than a Canadian VJ who does not have even a single relative in India. Something is not right here.
Will you miss JhalakIJ
I will miss some contestants and the stage. My choreographer Mohina and I had such grand plans for upcoming episodes. There was an entire dance sequence in a water tank and an aerial act that we had been practising for days. It’s a shame that we had to go out in such a manner. I am also upset because I felt I was among the top three dancers. Now I am not even there on the stage.
How was Mohina as a choreographerIJ
I have always done individual shows where there was little interaction with the team. This is the first time that I was doing something in collaboration with someone else. It was lovely. She is a hard task master and very clear about what she wants. That kept us going.
What are your plans nowIJ
I was devoting all my time towards this dance reality show. I have nothing concrete planned out. But I am very excited about my first solo movie produced by Prakash Jha. I have written the story and I play a comic role. Hopefully, we should start promoting this film by the end of this year. I am looking forward to it.
You have been a part of 12 reality shows across platforms. Do you think the concept is stagnatingIJ
Yes. I think the time has come for reality show makers to take a break. The entire concept is stale. We have had too many dancers and singers and stand-up comediennes occupying the screen space. We have tried a reality format in every category I can think of. So, it’s better to take a break and be back with fresh concepts. The audience has started questioning these shows. They keep saying, ‘Is it for realIJ This must be fabricated’.
Does the same apply to soapIJ
We should learn from the West and come up with shows that can be wrapped up in 30 episodes. Or, we should break our serials into seasons. Directors have to keep in mind that they take a break at the right time and not wait too long to make that decision. Concept and execution wise we are at par with any other country.
Who will lift the JDJ trophyIJ
Shakti Mohan and Popovich are great dancers. I would like either of them to win the contest. But I won’t be surprised if they, too, are eliminated (like me)!