'Jhalak... should've more transparency in eviction'

Confused over his eviction from Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, model-actor Kushal Punjabi says there should be more transparency in the elimination process on the show.

Kushal, 32, who had entered the celebrity dance show as a wild card contestant, lost to Kiku Sharda in the face-off. The Kaal actor said the judges called him a superior dancer to his competitors, so he does not understand why he got eliminated.

“I don’t understand, is it a dance-based show or concept-based? I showed pure dance in my act and judges praised me and I was still shown the door. So, I am confused and from dancing perspective, I find it unfair. If I am called a superior then what is the logic behind my defeat?” Kushal told PTI.

The actor is definitely unhappy with his elimination from the show but has no regrets of taking it up.

“It gave me an opportunity to be on stage and practice my hobby so I have no regrets. I am not the one to take this eviction to heart,” he said, adding that he is overwhelmed with the love and adulation from his fans on the social media.

Kushal feels the competition is now between Ashish Sharma and Mouni Roy but he wants dancer Shakti Mohan to win the trophy.

“The format of Jhalak... is the journey of a non-dancer to a dancer so in that respect, I feel Ashish or Mouni will win but going by the dancing skills and their entirety, I feel Shakti is the winner hands down,” he said.

The Hum Ne Li Hai-Shapath actor says he would like to look at the brighter side of his elimination, as he is hopeful of getting offers of reality shows.

“I would love to do reality TV more. I am open to small duration shows too. And I am hoping my stint on Jhalak... will help me get noticed and good offers will come my way,” he said.

Meanwhile, the TV star is now gearing for his next Bollywood venture, produced by acclaimed filmmaker Prakash Jha. Besides acting in the film, Kushal has also donned the role of a writer for the first time.

“I had written the story for this film with my two friends who have worked on the screenplay. We went to Prakash Jha and he liked it and decided to produce it. It is about a family and I play one of the leads. It would be up for release by the end of this year,” the actor said.