Graceful Isha wins some, dhak-dhak girl loses some

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Isha Sharvani

Now, if you ask me, this Jhalak Dhikhla Jaa prance-‘n’-dance reality show is quite a no-brainer. The balletic and graceful moves of Isha Sharvani are way beyond the ken of the other competitors. And her acts have been choreographed with far more finesse and imagination.

Yet one little TV-networked sparrow informs me that her rivals — the TV staples Jayati Mehta, Pratyusha Banerjee and Gurmeet Chaudhary — are way ahead in fetching the public votes. Logic: tele-viewers adore them, never mind their dance skills, which range from the passable to the plain clumsy. Even the judges seem to be rating the competitors for their popularity quotient — like cricketer Sanath Jayasurya who can’t hide his embarrassment — than for their terpsichorean talent.
Of the three jurors, Madhuri Dixit has lost a die-hard fan in me at least. Her comments to the dancers aren’t exactly credible or convincing. Ouch, she even attempted to shed a tear, when she was seemingly moved by a performance. She could have used some glycerine, or chopped some onions. The effort really smacked of artifice. Am I being too harsh on La Dix? Don’t think so.
Fees running into crores are paid to the dhak-dhak girl, who has also been endorsing everything from basmati rice to assorted jewellery. And I’m one of those, who like to remember a favourite with some affection, rather than be depressed by her wobbly comeback spree.
Back in the Isha Sharvani zone, she hasn’t established herself as a much-in-demand movie actress despite a saucy bimbette number in the undervalued Luck By Chance. Still, it’s evident that with her Kathak and Chhau training, she’s a class apart in this Jhalak…jamboree. If I could actually note down the SMS number and some other doo-dah — announced at lightning speed on the show — my vote would go out to her. And also my heart, if she doesn’t win the reality show’s title for whatever it’s worth. But then life isn’t always fair, is it?