Tabu once told me that there is a very thin line between being perfect at a task and doing the task your way. I will be doing it my way by judging their performance on the basis of their energy levels, panache and expressions
Why did you zero down on Nach Baliye as your comeback tool post motherhood? The channel offered me this show at the right time. Initially, the channel had approached me in October, but I turned down the opportunity as my son was very young and needed constant attention. Interestingly, the channel approached me in December, and I thought it was a good time to make a comeback. Besides, Nach Baliye is a great platform to be associated with, and I saw no reason to decline it. This is my first project post pregnancy, and I am really looking forward to having a great time on the show. You have earlier judged dance reality shows Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Zara Nachke Dikha, what criteria would you consider while judging this show? I am honest and frank without being nasty. It is these qualities which worked in my favour, and the producers found appealing. Nach Baliye is different from the other two shows that I have done. In this show, both the contestants paired are celebrities and are not professional dancers, so the judges need to be polite. Will you be lenient, since you will be judging celebrity contestants? As a judge I don't like to be diplomatic, and as I earlier said, my comments will be straight to the point. Since they are novice when it comes to professional dancing, I shall consider the improvement they will show in their performances as the show progresses. I shall be very vocal if I don't see any effort. What kind of dance forms are you adept at? I am very good at Bollywood dance since I have been doing if for so many years. I am also a professional Bharatnatyam dancer, and having said that I don't think anyone will be performing this dance form on the show! However, I am not going to get into the technical details while I judge these contestants. Tabu once told me that there is a very thin line between being perfect at a task and doing the task your way in your style. This is the criteria which I shall apply while judging the show and consider their energy levels, panache and expressions. With so many dance reality shows on television, is there any particular judge who has inspired you? I don't try and emulate anyone but I think Simon Cowell is fantastic. He is very spontaneous and unpredictable. You are a good dancer, your co-judge Terence Lewis is a fantastic choreographer and dancer, but what's Sajid Khan doing on the show as the third judge? Sajid Khan has spectacular songs in his films, besides he knows the pulse of the audience when it comes to entertaining them. For any act it is very important to have three different perspectives, and I feel Terence, Sajid and I fit the bill perfectly. Any particular contestant who has impressed you on the show? I was completely bowled over by Smita Bhansal's performance. We shot for the first episode, and Smita who delivered a baby three months ago danced extremely well. It was very hard to believe that she had recently delivered a baby. Now that you are back, is it difficult to juggle work and motherhood? Not at all. In India, family members become your biggest support system. My mother is helping me to take care of Viaan. Judges on reality TV shows flaunt a signature style of dressing, what will be your style on the show? I am trying to do something different. Generally, celebrities hire a fashion designer who design dresses for them. Instead of a designer, I have hired a stylist, Nandita Mahtani, who will be sorting dresses for me designed by both Indian and international designers. What are your forthcoming projects? I plan to devote some time to look into the business of my Iosis spa. Later, we need to get cracking with the new season of IPL. Source: Screen-India
