Jhalak encourages the notion that anybody and everybody can dance - Myleeta Aga Williams

The brilliantly conceptualized show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa has kept you hooked for the last seven years now. But behind the sparkling stage, mesmerizing performances and popular celebs, there is a team that works hard to make the show successful year after year. Yes, it’s the production house BBC Worldwide India that we are talking about. And heading the team is the pretty and smart Myleeta Aga Williams, Managing Director and Creative Head, BBC Worldwide India. We caught up with the fiercely independent professional on the sets of Jhalak and got talking about the latest season of the show on Colors. Read on… Jhalak has been working successfully for seven long years, so what’s the ‘alag’ factor in the production value this time? I always say that there are 13 ‘alag’ factors every year in the show. The celebrities each year are different and they bring along with them new stories and journeys. They go through new set of challenges and the way they handle it has given a different experience to them, the judges and the viewers alike. What do you have to say about the 13 contestants this year? I think they all are looking very young. The judges too seem to have become younger (smiles). We always believed that this can help us connect to the youth better and it has worked that way. The hosts this season are also young and I think this factor will surely reap rewards this season too. Also with an international choreographer joining the judge’s table, I think we will connect to a much larger global audience. Our behind the scene young team also tries to project the best of techniques and content for our viewers. But why have an international choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy as a judge this season? Tell me why not? Indian audience is very receptive of talent, devoid of their nationality. I think Lauren (Gottlieb) is the best example of that. Dance has a universal language and our show encourages the notion that anybody and everybody can dance. Also it makes a difference as producers, for Maksim brings a perspective of international audience along with him. Every year we see a maximum of TV celebs as participants- Is that a conscious decision to get more eyeballs? We have a good mix of celebs on the show but we work for TV and that is where our show airs, so we do have to keep the balance. Viewers relate much more easily with them and personally I love TV stars too (laughs). Coming back to the question, this year we also have a singer, cricketer, VJs and a child (Akshat). Any change that you have seen in the audience of the show in these years? I have seen an amazing growth in them and today the world knows us. I think we have managed to set a bench mark for dance shows in India and the journey has been phenomenal. Also when I travel I actually get to know the amazing fan base of the show and the celebs involved in it and that is surely very encouraging. Also Myleeta, with the show being an adaptation of an international show, do you follow it blindly or innovate in terms of concept? Jhalak is of course a version of an international format - Dancing with the Stars, but we don’t copy the show directly. We do look it up at the conceptual level and then discuss what will work for audiences in India. It is an interesting adaptation and things that are relevant for the audience are only presented. And finally a lot has been spoken about the judging and voting patterns… (Cutting us short) That remains the same all along. The results are always calculated in terms of 50 per cent of judges’ score and 50 per cent audience votes. So it is very much clear that way.