With writer Chetan Bhagat turning judge for 'Nach Baliye 7', we look at similar instances when celebrities judged talent even though they did not seem to have the requisite expertise to do so
Chetan Bhagat, Ajay Devgn with wife Kajol, Sonali Bendre and Esha Deol
The programme space for reality shows is getting increasingly crowded. To ensure that their programmes get the maximum eyeballs (read: TRPs), the makers are leaving no stone unturned to up the celebrity quotient of their show.
Chetan Bhagat
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Since they can do only so much to add novelty to their show format, signing on marketable, good looking faces as judges seems to be their mantra. But there have been times when the choice of judges looks like a not-so-great judgment call.
Like recently, when it was announced that bestselling writer Chetan Bhagat would evaluate the contestants of celebrity dance reality show 'Nach Baliye 7'. It not only took his fans by surprise, but also raised questions about the criteria for zeroing in on the panel of judges.
While calling himself a 'novice dancer', the novelist clarified his role in the show through an online post that read: "Well, I am no dance expert!
However, the show format has changed and apart from dance, there will be a lot of emphasis on couple chemistry, compatibility and team work. I will be focusing more on the latter parts... Yes, it is a risk. It could really work or I could end up making a fool of myself."
hitlist takes a look at similar instances when celebrities stepped into a show just for the sake of it and judged talent even though they did not seem to have the requisite expertise to do so...
Ajay Devgn
Show: 'Rock N Roll Family'
Star couple Ajay Devgn and Kajol along with the latter's mom and veteran actress Tanuja came up with the above-mentioned dance reality show in 2008 to provide a launchpad to three generations of a family to flaunt their dancing chops. While Tanuja and Kajol's presence in the show was justified, it was amusing, no less, to see Devgn passing remarks on dance as he is known to have two left feet. The show was apparently launched by the actor as a marketing strategy to promote his 2008 film titled 'U Me Aur Hum', starring the couple.
Sonali Bendre
Show: 'Indian Idol'
This actress has been hosting and judging various reality shows for a long time now. And to be fair, she has shown enough sensibility while giving her verdict to the contestants. However, at the beginning of her judging career, she was seen in singing reality show Indian Idol, which didn't seem quite like an ideal choice for her. So far, we have seen directors, composers and singers on the panel of such shows. So, Sonali looked like a misfit as she has not dabbled in music before.
Kunal Kohli
Show: 'Nach Baliye' (Season two)
Along with Malaika Arora Khan and Saroj Khan, this anchor-turned-filmmaker was part of the judging panel in the dance show's season two though he has no experience in dancing. The makers then were said to have not received good reviews about his judging abilities and therefore, took on board a different judge for the next season.
Tanishaa Mukerji
Show: 'Gangs of Hasseepur'
She vanished from the Bollywood scene post her appearance in 'Sarkar Raj' (2008), which was preceded by a string of flops. She resurfaced on television with the high-on-controversy reality show 'Bigg Boss', gaining a lot of publicity for her alleged relationship with fellow contestant Armaan Kohli. Once the show wrapped up, she was signed on to judge a comedy show. In her short career, Tanishaa has hardly done comedy films or shown her funny side to the audience. Perhaps, that was why the makers did not receive a great reaction for the show and decided to relieve her. The actress, however, debunked this theory, stating that her contract was for limited episodes.
Chunky Pandey
Show: 'Zara Nachke Dikha'
One would expect a funny actor like Chunky to judge a comedy show, but strangely he accepted an offer to co-judge a celebrity dance reality show along with Malaika Arora Khan a few years ago. Chunky, who is best known for his comic roles, has never established himself as a great dancer. No wonder then that the show failed to garner high TRPs and took quite a while to return with its second season.
Esha Deol
Show: 'Roadies 12'
Post her marriage, this Deol girl made her television debut as a judge for youth-based reality show Roadies that involves fancy mean machines, high decibel fights and jaw-dropping stunts. Her selection as part of the jury set tongues wagging as she replaced Raghu Ram, who had conceptualised the show and is known to judge prospective contestants on crazy parameters bordering on torture. Esha has played a biker chick in 'Dhoom' (2004) and given her sports background, she is doing fairly well. The only bit missing, however, is the grilling of contestants with a sprinkling of expletives a la Raghu, which was so synonymous with the extreme reality programme.
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