In Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Farah Khan talks about her ‘discoveries’!

In Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Farah Khan talks about her ‘discoveries’. She says, ‘Everyone says I discovered Deepika, but I discovered Malaika first.’
Lights, camera, and a whole lot of action; after a spectacular grand premiere on Sony Entertainment Television last weekend, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa saw the stars twirl, dazzle, and shine bright on your TV screens. This weekend, the celebrities will attempt to try something new for the first time and step into uncharted dance territory with the ‘Pehli Baar’ challenge, wherein they’ll be scored for the first time by the FAM trio of judges – Farah Khan, Arshad Warsi and Malaika Arora.

Sangeeta Phogat, known for her accomplishments in the wrestling arena, will leave a lasting impression with her scintillating act on the iconic Bollywood track ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ with choreographer Bharat Ghare. Sangeeta’s ability to adapt to a completely different art form impressed the judges, especially given that she performed on a moving train that the duo used as a prop.

Speaking about her own experience of shooting on a moving train, Judge Malaika Arora shared, “I remember how challenging it is to dance on a moving train; we were all scared, so obviously, the attempt you made here on this moving platform must’ve been difficult for you too. It was a very good element that you brought in.”

Farah Khan, who had originally choreographed the song, reveals how she discovered the dazzling Malaika Arora and said, “Everyone says I discovered Deepika, but I discovered Malaika first. She is my first child. Two days before the shoot of the song, I called Malaika to do this song. Before her, we had approached 6-7 heroines but, nothing worked out. We were in a fix about whom to choose for this song. That’s when Mickey Contractor told me that Malaika is a very good dancer. I said, ‘Malaika is a model’, and I wondered how she would do this Indian dance in a ghagra-choli. So, I called her to Ooty two days before, and we rehearsed at night, and we shot during the day. We just made her climb the train. She was trembling; literally, there was no safety, nothing. She had no makeup on, just kajal and a tattoo that Geeta made on her arms. And of course, Shah Rukh was there with her. More than me, I think Shah Rukh took great care of her. Everyone used to ask us about safety precautions, and the only precaution I took was to take extra dancers. Laughs!”

Judge Arshad Warsi, who was surprised to see Malaika’s new avatar back then, said, “We all knew Malaika as a model. And suddenly, you see her like this—it was a kind of a shocker.”

The original divas ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’, Malaika Arora and Farah Khan, then recreated the iconic song on stage, leaving everyone in awe.

Don’t miss the dazzling dance performances on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 PM only on Sony Entertainment Television.

Keerti Kadam