(From top) Ajay Jadeja with choreographer Rea in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa; Farah Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shilpa Shetty, the three judges of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa; Hiten-Gauri, Sharad-Kirti, Gouri-Yash Tonkk and Bakhtyaar-Tanaaz participants of Nach Baliye 2

The latest to engage in the War of the TRPs on the small screen are the celebrity dance shows which are the offshoot of the super success of Nach Baliye last year. Even though the oldest dance show, Boogie Woogie, has done relatively well for over a decade now, it’s the celebrity dance shows which have suddenly got the viewers’ eyeballs rolling and feet tapping.

This season, Nach Baliye 2 has competition from the Indian version of Dancing with the Stars — Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. One can say that both the shows are going neck and neck and doing equally well in the TRP charts. There was another reality dance show, Dance Dance, launched on Sony TV in early 2005 and which promised to do to dancing what Indian Idol had done to singing. But the show was a big flop in spite of the presence of judges of the stature of Saroj Khan, Vaibhavi Merchant and Terrence Lewis. So it threw up a question whether the celebrity quotient in these shows helped when in came to the TRPs?

“It’s the viewers who want fresh and new entertainment and we have to go according to them and their wants,” says Sandiip Sickand, Senior Creative Director, Sony Entertainment Television. Comments filmmaker Kunal Kohli, one of the judges of Nach Baliye 2: “Actually, being a competition among the people you know makes it so much more exciting. The energy level of the show is also very high. Being the judge and being so close to the centrestage, I get a chance to feel that energy. It’s very exciting.”

But the other judge Saroj Khan chooses to disagree. “It’s not because of the celebrities, but the judgment we give and guidance that attracts the audiences to the show. Apart from the celebrities, even the choreographers have a point to prove. It’s a platform for them to become famous,” she explains.

After considering so much of similarity in terms of content, the audiences are seeing it as a battle between the two shows. They are taking it as Nach Baliye vs Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa — which one will end up dancing away with the show finally? “I think every show is fighting a battle with another show. But it’s not a planned or inevitable battle,” clarifies Sandiip Sickand. Kunal Kohli concurs: “I don’t think we are into any kind of battle. We are not competing with any other show. Nach Baliye is a very popular show with a big and loyal audience. Even in our first season the TRPs were pretty good,” says the Bollywood director denying any competition between the two. Saroj Khan, too, remains non-committal. “I don’t know. I can’t say anything as I am just a judge over there,” she shoots back when quizzed about the same. At the end of the day, no one wants to agree to the fact that it’s a cut-throat competition.

Emotions running high, real tears and joy in abundance have always spiced up reality shows. Akashdeep Sehgal’s volatile exit from Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa where he spoke his heart out and blamed judges and co-contestants made headlines. In complete contrast, Ajay Jadeja’s sporting exit, complete with sweet gestures, was talked about equally. Similarly, in Nach Baliye 2, Gaurav Chopra and Narayani Shastri’s shocking exit from round two was the talk of the town. So do such incidents help the shows?

“I know Akashdeep very closely. He speaks from his heart and that was exactly what he did on the show that day, too. These things are not preplanned. It’s absolutely real,” explains Sandiip Sickand. Says Kunal Kohli: “A shocking exit can be considered a very sad thing. It’s not a happy thing in any way. Every contestant works hard and their emotions display their hard work. But at the end of every episode someone or the other has to make an exit. I don’t think it helps in anyway to spice up the show,”

The shocking exit, however, was the result of the experimentation of a new rule in Nach Baliye, wherein a contestant is allowed to vote out another contestant. But isn’t it an unfair rule? It’s obvious that the more popular contestants would have a better chance of making it to the finals (the first casualty of this rule was the jodi of Narayani and Gaurav). “It’s a very exciting rule if used in the correct way by the contestants. People had done a lot of research before introducing this new rule. I think every new rule takes its time to be accepted,” argues Kunal. Saroj Khan, however, begs to differ. “As for shocking exits, Gauri and Hiten aren’t good dancers but they are surviving because they are very famous. I am trying to suggest to the channel that the rules should be changed a bit but ultimately it’s up to the channel to decide,” she says.

The victim who fell to this rule, Narayani Shastri, is not in any way happy about her exit from the second round in spite of showing promise from the start of the show. “It’s a pathetic rule. Honestly, I don’t attach much importance to these things. This isn’t the end of the world for me. Gaurav and I are happy with the love we got from the people. I don’t have any friends other than Shweta (Kawatra) and Manav (Gohil). Maybe that has gone against us. I knew Kirti (Gaikwad), but I cannot term her as my best friend. Hiten, Gauri, Hussain and Tina were unbiased. I’m confident that they must have voted in our favour,” she has been quoted as having said.

Akashdeep Sehgal on his part defends his angry exit from Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa where he had lashed out against ex-girlfriend and judge Farah Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He didn’t even spare co-contestant Shveta Salve. “I just said what my heart felt at that moment. That’s the person I am in real life, too. But the media blew up the entire episode. I don’t have any personal grudges against the judges. They have been appointed to put their point forward. I think everybody has his or her own perceptions,” he says.

One big difference between the two shows is the pattern of dancing involved in both. Nach Baliye is based on the Bollywood style of dancing, while Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa being a formatted show follows the ballroom dance form. The contestant learns and dances with a choreographer and can end up being more technically correct.

But what has made the contestants opt for a particular show over the other? “Nach Baliye approached me first. I haven’t seen a single episode of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Besides that I personally liked the first season of Nach Baliye. I hardly missed one single episode,” says Narayani Shastri, in spite of the fact that her spirit was dampened by the kind of ouster she had from Nach Baliye.

Shveta Salve, another television celebrity, had her own reasons to choose Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa over Nach Baliye. “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa gave me an opportunity to learn a different form of dancing. Before this I hardly knew the steps of ballroom dance. Now I guess I have learnt a little bit of it and can use it in the parties.”

Manav Gohil, a dance enthusiast also seen in Vaidehi on Sony, has this to add: “Nach Baliye approached me during their first season also. But then I was preoccupied with my other commitments. This time I didn’t want to miss being part of a great show.” But what if the other show would have approached him first? “Obviously I prefer dancing with my wife Shweta (Kawatra), which wouldn’t have been possible if I would have done Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, where you have to dance with a choreographer. Anyway, I just love dancing. So maybe if I wouldn’t have had any option, I would definitely have danced in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa,” says Manav.

Akashdeep, too, had his reasons. “You can only do Nach Baliye if you are married or have a girlfriend. I could have participated in Nach Baliye but I’m still single, who’s looking around for a girl,” he grins.