As many as 13 celebrity contestants; three popular judges - Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo D'Souza; and a dance floor - much about the new season of "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa" may seem the usual, but the team of the dance reality show promises to offer a lot of things new and "never seen before".
This year, the show, which will air on Colors starting June 7, will follow a "never seen before" theme.
The contestants range from actors Kritika Kamra, Mouni Roy, Purab Kohli, Karan Tacker, Sophie Choudry, Pooja Banerjee and Ashish Sharma; VJ Andy; professional dancer Shakti Mohan; young dancing talent Akshat Singh; singer Sukhwinder Singh; comedian Kiku Sharda in his avatar as Palak; and cricketer S. Sreesanth.
They rehearse for three to four hours every day at the Jhalak House in Versova here to put their best foot forward on the dance floor.
VJ Andy turned a guide for a team of journalists who visited the show's set Monday, and he welcomed everyone warmly with garlands.
Talking about their schedules for the rehearsals, Andy said: "We all get a private room to rehearse, with different time schedules allotted to each contestant. We rehearse with our choreographers for three to four hours minimum in a day." Andy's antics on "Bigg Boss Saath 7" made him a popular name.
The rehearsals for the forthcoming season of "Jhalaka" have been going on for the past four weeks. Everyone has a competitive spirit, but they feel contestant Shakti Mohan is a cut above the rest owing to her professional dancing skills.
"Everyone is a competitor here. We don't include Shakti, since she is mindblowing and is perfect at it. We all are waiting for the first episode to shot, so that we get to know the capabilities of other contestants and know the competition better," said Mouni, who is a graceful dancer herself.
Dance is not all that the participants are doing. There's some dieting and exercising happening too!
"We work out in the gym. We have to eat healthy food. Our mentors guide us and instruct us what to eat and what not to. We have to be flexible and fit enough to perform different dance moves and styles," said Andy.
Also, the "never seen before" theme has made sure that all the contestants remain on their toes. They are all learning new dancing styles to lend a new and different look to the show.
"We have been mixing different styles and giving in new effects this time. Previous seasons have shown all the concepts and styles, so it's a hard time for us to show what's new this time," said Karan Tacker.
The show is a training ground for most contestants and it is about growth for some.
Comedian Kiku Sharda, hugely popular for playing Palak in "Comedy Nights With Kamal", says he chose to be part of the show to learn dance.
"I always had a thing for dance. I was planning to join some dance institute, but soon, the offer for aJhalaka' dropped in and I happily accepted it. The show is paying me to learn dance, what more can I ask for," quipped Kiku.
The new season of "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaaa will hosted by small screen's 'Madhubala' Drashti Dhami and Bollywood actor Ranvir Shorey.
