'Jhalak Dikhhla Ja' Season 7 on Colors gets bigger

Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo Dsouza will be joined by an international choreographer, Maksim Chmerkovkiy, on the judges table. The channel has planned a 360 degree marketing campaign across mediums with more emphasis on digital media

BestMediaInfoBureau | Mumbai | June 3, 2014

(L-R) Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar, Raj Nayak and Remo Dsouza

'Jhalak Dikhhla Ja' is back with its season 7 and is slated to go on air in four days on Colors. Premiering on June 7, the show will be telecast at 9 pm every Saturday and Sunday. The show is back with a bang and it holds surprises for all viewers as it promises entertainment like never before. Several new factors have been introduced in the dance reality show for the first time in its attempt to make it better and bigger.

Along with a line-up of popular contestants, this season audiences will be introduced to some unusual and unheard of dance forms like Zouk, Bolero, Capoeira and many more from all the corners of the world. Along with the trio who have become the face of the show – Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo Dsouza – an international choreographer, Maksim Chmerkovkiy, will also be seen judging the contestants. This Ukrainian dance expert is the season 18 winner of the international show, 'Dancing with the Stars'.

Madhuri and Remo will be seen in a new avatar, their looks and attires will be different from the previous seasons. The judges this time have promised not to put up with any nonsense; they will be stricter in their judgement and there will be no room for errors to emphasise that the 'average is not made for Jhalak Dikhhla Ja'.

This year's performances will no longer be limited to the stage, as contestants will also venture outdoors.

The show will be hosted by Ranvir Shorey and last season's winner, Drashti Dhami. To ease the tension on the floor and to add comic relief, popular comedian, Sudesh Lehri, has been roped in. Choreographers Salman Yosuff Khan and Lauren Gottleib will take on the role of adversaries and will challenge the contestants to up their level and engage in an exciting dance combat.

The celebrity contestants are Palak with Kruti, Karan Tacker with Suchitra, Sukhwinder Singh with Bhawna, Purab Kohli with Mohena, Sophie Choudry with Deepak, Akshat Singh with Vaishnavi, Ashish Sharma with Shampa, Mouni Roy with Punit, Puja Banerjee with Rajit, VJ Andy with Bhavini, Kritika Kamra with Savio, Sreesanth with Sneha, and Shakti Mohan with Tushar.

Commenting on the launch of the show, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, said, “Jhalak Dikhhla Ja is a celebration of dance that our viewers from the world over love to be a part of. The challenge for us is to push the level every time and to showcase something new and different. The most difficult part of our job is to choose the contestants, as there are people who want to come on the show, but we really don't want them and there are people whom we want on the show, but they are the ones who don't want to come on the show. So it takes a lot of convincing as it is not easy for them either, as they turn more vulnerable with both their strength and negative side being exposed to the public eye.”

Vivek Srivastava

Vivek Srivastava, Head - Commercial and Digital, Colors, said, “There has been a shift in strategy this season and our marketing plans involve digital. We also aim to highlight the mix of contestants this time. The channel has planned a 360 degree marketing campaign across TV, radio, cinema, digital, outdoor and ground activations across markets. On the digital front, a host of activities have been planned to engage the fans. From Snapchats to behind-the-scenes selfies, celebrities will get a chance to share every moment of their journey on Jhalak. There is also a contest for viewers, where they will be asked to submit their own 'Jhalak moment' (their own videos to their favourite Bollywood song moment). One lucky winner will get a chance to fly down to Mumbai and shake a leg with their favourite dancing star. Our aim is to maximise the interaction from a Saturday-Sunday to all the seven days of the week.”

Manisha Sharma, Weekend Programming Head, Colors, said, “Anyone can dance, but to clinch the crown, the contestants on this season of Jhalak Dikhhla Ja will have to showcase innovation and creativity in designing superlative performances unlike ever before. The creative team at Colors is expanding their horizons to bring about some new and interesting elements. The judges have been given the power of granting immunity which will ensure that the most deserving contestants continue to present spectacular performances.”

Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM, BBC Worldwide, India and Content Head Asia, said, “We are very excited to see the Indian adaptation of BBC Worldwide's  acclaimed format, 'Dancing with the Stars', grow from strength to strength each season. The format has been sold to 50 countries and has been an incredible success in India.”

Cadbury Bournvita is the 'Presenting Sponsor' and Gionee Smartphones will join the show as the 'Powered by Sponsors'. Other associate sponsors who have been roped in include Ultratech Cement, Liberty Shoes, Ruchi Soya Industries and Clean and Clear.

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