"It's not necessary that the best dancer will win"-- Kunal Kohli

At a time when everybody is focussing on which of the two Nach Baliye finalist Jodis will win the coveted crown, nobody seems to care about the immense pressure the three celebrity judges are facing while choosing the nation's best TV dancing couple. Tellychakkar.com's Anil Merani caught up with the noted film writer and director Kunal Kohli whose fimography reads films like Fanaa, Hum Tum and Mujhse Dosti Karoge. Kunal who has also anchored TV show Chalo Cinema for Zee. shares his thoughts and experiences about judging Nach Baliye 2 How has the experience of judging Nach Baliye 2 been? It's been a great experience. I have had a real blast doing this show. Since you replaced Farhan Akhtar as a judge. Was there any pressure on you to confirm to some standard? Look, both Farhan and me are completely different individuals so there is no question of any comparison between us. Besides, you are expected to be yourself on a reality show. There is no feeling of competition between us. We are great friends and often party together. How does it feel to be sitting between an excellent choreographer and a real hot and classy lady? It's just awesome. I have known Saroj Ji for a long time and we have not only worked together in my last film Fanaa but in a number of music videos (Chhuimui Si Tum Lagti Ho) as well. I have developed a good rapport with Malliaka on the show and want to keep the friendship going beyond Nach as well. Among the two finalist Jodis, who do you think has got a greater edge? I have always maintained that Nach Baliye is like a one day match. It's not necessary that the best dancer will win. It's about who performs better on that particular day that matters. But even then you must be having your own favorites? See, as a judge it would be wrong on my part to say that A or B is better. The nature of the show is such that some of the better dancers like Shweta- Maanav and Narayani- Gaurav have already been voted out. But that's the way the format goes. Could you talk about what you felt about the earlier performances of the 2 finalist Jodis? Although I have liked all of Hussain and Tina's performances, their blind act and message of national unity were par excellence. The fact that Tina does not belong to the industry and yet is so comfortable on stage is proof of her winner instinct and their perfect chemistry which also reflects very beautifully in their dance. I regard Yash and Gauri as the dark horses of the race. When NB began nobody really expected them to win and in all honesty their initial acts were patchy. But this duo did not loose heart they worked hard and proved many people wrong by qualifying for the finals. Among their various performances I really loved their first salsa performance the most. What kind of performances do you expect in the grand finale? I expect to see some splendid performances in the finals. We as judges will be very severe if any mistakes are committed and so will be the audiences. All I can say is-- May the best Jodi win. Many people including Malaika felt that Bhaktiyaar was too arrogant? I don't know Bhaktiyaar personally so would not like to comment on his behavior. There were a lot of allegations that the judges showed favoritism especially to Shweta and Raja? No ways, we have always been neutral. I have given low points to Shweta and Raja when they danced badly. But let's face it. Shweta was a very good dancer and it's really sad that she had to bow out due to her husband's illness. I know that some of the other participants have also been complaining about the scoring. Since we live in a democracy, everybody has a right to express their own views. It just feels bad when you are wrongly accused of something that you have not done. How would you rate Nach Baliye when compared to other reality shows? I think Nach Baliye is the only reality show which will truly benefit the industry. Our show is throwing up a real good bunch of young choreographers who can do wonders in the film world. Last time, Farhan had given a break to one of the contestants. This time Harshall-Vitthal and Deepak are really good and we hope that they too will be absorbed in the industry. I have also been speaking to my director friends (in my personal capacity) about this, let's see what happens. Nach Baliye is different from other reality shows in the sense that it's the only show where there are no scripts and no hidden instructions. What you see is really what happens. There have always been rumours that the channel is pulling strings from behind the curtain. Can you clear the air once and for all? For the last time, I wish to make it abundantly clear that there is no pressure on us from the channel. Before every show we are just told about what genre (Western, Romantic, Rural etc) the participants will dance to and that's all. We are completely free to rank as we please. The channel has never tried to tamper with our marking. Do you consult the other judges before giving marks? No, hardly. What we do at times is to clarify our doubts with Saroj Ji about certain steps where we feel that the dancers may have gone wrong. Beyond that none of us tries to influence the other. When you judge a contestant what parameters do you follow? Unlike Saroj Ji, who only judges the dance, I consider the entire package: dance, emotions, setting and costumes. I agree that dance is the main theme of the show but the other factors are equally important for the performances. Are you a bit lenient on the Jodis on the grounds that these folks are not real dancers? No, why should we be lenient. In fact, some of the Jodis who got perfect 10s are really good dancers. They can give some of the established dancers a real run for their money. Is it a difficult job to ba judge? Well, it's a real tough job since we too are always under the pubic and media scanner. We have to make sure that no mistakes go unnoticed and by God's grace we have succeeded in it so far. Would we see you again in Nach Baliye 3? Although I am game to do Nach again, it's for the channel to decide. Having said that, it would also depend on the dates as well because if my film is rolling by then I will have to excuse myself. Since you have hosted Chalo Cinema on Zee before, did that help you feel more comfortable in front of the TV? Yes, as I have hosted Chalo Cinema for years, I do know what to expect. But that does not mean I take my work less seriously. Since knowing the demands of the medium it only means a lot more hardwork.