These days, celebrities can barely swing a sequined dress without hitting a reality dance show. Every channel has its version—girls versus boys, celebrity couples in competition, families showing off their collective talent. The end of one marks the beginning of another.

Such deliberate indifference however, fails to work with Nach Baliye—after all, it is India’s first celebrity dance show and a trendsetter for what perpetually occupies our TV screens these days. But Nach Baliye 4, which airs from October 17, has failed to match the interest the earlier seasons had generated. The primary reasons cited are the relative anonymity of the contesting couples, or the jodis and, of course, other dance shows currently on air. The unimaginative promos have done little to help.

Nach Baliye first went on air in 2005 with Farhan Akhtar, Malaika Arora Khan and Saroj Khan as judges, and leading TV actors (with their real-life partners), like Rohit Roy, Hiten Tejwani and Varun Badola, as contestants. The formula was an instant hit. What followed was a successful second season and a just-above-average third as semi-celebrities like Pooja Bedi and Rakhi Sawant grooved harder to hold the TRPs in place.

The jodis in Nach Baliye 4, in comparison, seem dull. Most are the “other” bahus and betas from average soaps. Very few names manage to draw as much as a flicker of recognition. Malaika Arora Khan, former Nach Baliye judge, says, “I don’t know a single jodi, except Abhijeet Sawant and Jaspal Bhatti, this time.”

Agrees actress Maninee Misra, a contestant in the show’s first season. “I belong to the industry yet hardly any name rings a bell. Some jodis look so fake and the concept of real-life couples hardly comes across.” The producers also seem to have brought together ‘fake’ couples for the show. Naman Shaw and Megha Gupta’s is one such entry.

The producers however, remain unfazed. Says Namit Sharma, business head, Wizcraft: “Such speculations happen every year. We have done our research well and we have faith in the capabilities of the contestants we have chosen. They may not be headline grabbers but are definitely popular among audiences.”

Things also seem to be looking up after the announcement of the judges-Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Farah Khan. This time around, the glam quotient of the panel is on an all-time high. However, this makes one question whether the producers are making up for the contestants with an A-list panel. Arora Khan and Misra both accept that it is only the judges or their participating friends that will draw them to the show.

Hussain Kuwajerwala, winner of Nach Baliye 2, defends the show by saying that the rise in the number of channels and soaps today is to be blamed for the relative anonymity of the participants and “many become celebrities after they get a chance to showcase their talent through the show”.

True; Nach Baliye has revived the dwindling careers of many artistes. Sachin Pilgaonkar, the winner in season one, later judged Ekapeksha Ek, a reality dance show on Zee Marathi. Delnaz Paul may not have made it to the Nach Baliye 1 finals, but she led the winning team of recently concluded Zara Nachke Dikha, another celebrity dance show on Star One.

If the entry of Indian Idol winner Sawant and Bhatti—the only two “known” faces on the list—is anything to go by, the producers seem to have attempted to reach beyond the realm of TV soaps. One won’t be surprised if Bhatti—the only respectable stand-up comedian India has seen in over a decade-lends his humour to the show.

In step

Judges

Karisma Kapur

Arjun Rampal

Farah Khan

Participants

Tanushree Kaushal and Vineet Raina

Reshmi Ghosh and Amit Gupta

Teejay Sidhu and KaranVir Bohra

Megha Gupta and Naman Shaw

Anjali Abrol and Kapil Nirmal

Aditi Shirwaker and Mohit Malik

Avantika and Sudeep Sahir

Mouli and Mazhar Ganguly

Savita and Jaspal Bhatti

Priya Bhathija and Jatin Shah

Shaleen Bhanot and Daljeet Kaur

Shilpa and Abhijeet Sawant