A fading 'Jhalak'

It’s over. As I handed my green stiletto pumps with golden braids back to my mother, I realised my dancing days were over. I had just done my last ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ act. No more pirouettes in public. No more wide sweeps of the hand while indulging in casual conversation. No more using just three toes to carry an 85 kilo body, a feat which most physicists deemed impossible.

But let me relive the last few seconds of the show as host Rohit Roy, with his permanently arched eyebrows, dealt the coup de grace. I felt my lower body going somewhat numb. It was only after a few seconds that I realised, this was due to my choreographer Rosita grinding her heel into my foot, in an endeavour to ensure I was both paying attention and would indulge in a spontaneous display of emotion. This I did in the most dignified way by yelling, “Get off my foot you idiot,” to my pretty dance mistress.

Of course, judge Shiamak Davar thought I was addressing the remark to him and in a spontaneous display of emotion flung Sandhya Mridual’s silver seven-inch platform shoes at my head. As the shoes missed me and hit Mika Singh all hell broke loose. Contestants attacked contestants. Stockings, tights, pumps heels were flying everywhere.

Even the legendry Jeetendra got up once to protect the gorgeous Urmila Matondkar from the fury of flying footwear.
As each contestant was strapped down I was shown the door, but not before each judge sang some words of encouragement. Shiamak said, “Never again please.” Urmila said, “Keep going for God’s sake don’t come back.”

However, it was the legendary Jeetendra who touched me the most with his eclectic remark, “Who are you?”I would have stayed and argued but from the corner of my eye I saw Mika coming forward, lips tightly pursed.