Upala KBR (DNA; August 17, 2016)

When Jacqueline Fernandez decided to turn judge with Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa this year, the question on everyone’s mind was: Why?! Only out-of-work actors or actresses past their prime, take on TV shows, unlike top male actors, who do a fine balancing act on both the big and small screen.

Irresistible offer?
Says an insider, “She could not resist the offer. She has been paid Rs 1 crore per episode.” However, Jackie denies that, “It’s not true. The reason I signed on was that I wanted to reach out to more people. I felt I was still lacking in reach.”

Meet the real me!
Ask her to explain how and she says, “I wanted to be able to connect with that audience in the small towns and interiors — people who didn’t relate to me and my movies. My blockbuster hits have created a very glamorous image of me, which is not the real me. I never had a chance to play myself. With Jhalak..., I have that now. I wanted people to see that side of me.”

‘Judging is tough’
She says, “It’s pretty intimidating to be a judge. It’s tough and there are times when I am like, ‘I can’t do this and I need to improve a lot’. Also, I am too emotional. I have started becoming attached to the contestants and I just love to see their dancing, but I feel awful when they leave. But at the same time you have to be fair to the other contestants.”

Far superior contestants!
She asks fellow judge Karan Johar for help (he’s been doing it for five years now) and admits, “Some of the contestants in the show are far superior than me and I feel I’m not in the position to judge them. But now, I have decided I am not going to be a dance expert, but process their journey.”

Growing with contestants
She believes she is now growing into her role on the show, and concludes, “The contestants are growing with every episode and I am seeing that journey — who is sliding down and who is still keeping up that energy. For me, it’s a constant learning journey. While I was nervous about this decision earlier, I now take it as an opportunity to grow with them.”