On Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Rajiv Thakur talks about his fan boy moment with Meenakshi Sheshadri

Sony Entertainment Television’s celebrity dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, will take you on a nostalgic ride this weekend as it welcomes the timeless Bollywood beauty, Meenakshi Sheshadri. The special episode, titled 'Marzi Meenakshi Ki,' will mark the celebration of Meenakshi Sheshadri's illustrious 40-year journey in the film industry. As a part of this week’s theme, the contestants will perform to Meenakshi's favourite songs, promising a heart-warming episode with the perfect blend of nostalgia, entertainment, and stunning dance performances.

In a unique twist, versatile comedian and actor Rajiv Thakur, along with choreographer Suchitra Sawant, will infuse the spirit of Garba into Govinda's timeless hit, ‘Main Toh Raaste Se Ja Raha Tha’, paying homage to Meenakshi Sheshadri's favourite co-star. 

Meenakshi, who was quite impressed with the act, said, “I enjoyed it a lot. You are a born comedian. You made me laugh so much that now my cheeks are hurting. There are many reasons Govinda being my favorite co-star. The first reason is that he also comes from a classical music family, and his mother was a singer, so he sings very well. Very few people know that while shooting, Govinda and I used to sing classical songs together, and the producers/directors used to say, 'What is happening here?' It's a very, very rare kind of rapport. He's an amazing dancer, with amazing expressions. I learned so much from him, along with a bit of mischief too. He's a versatile actor. Although he has done many comedy films, if you see him in other avatars, he is just mind-blowing. I hope I get the opportunity to work with him again.”

Enthralled by Rajiv’s captivating and entertaining performance, Judge Farah Khan said, “Rajiv, I enjoyed it. Suchitra, you are handling him very well. You're tapping into his comedy in between, and I liked the whole sequence. Suchitra and Rajiv, it was a very entertaining act, and you chose the right song.”

Adding to the compliments, Judge Malaika Arora said, “I think, first of all, performing Garba on this song is a very interesting combination. When you picked up the dandiya sticks, I thought that was the nicest part. You caught all the beats, and executed all the movements. I think there is an improvement in you Rajiv, and that is a good thing. He is not just focusing on comedy; he is also paying attention to dance, and that is very important.”

Rajiv, a huge fan of the evergreen Bollywood diva Meenakshi Sheshadri, shared his fondest memory of watching her films on a VCR at a neighbour's house. Rajiv says, “Seeing Meenakshi ji makes me so happy because you are a part of many golden memories of life. In the days of the VCR, when we didn't have enough money to go to the theatre, we used to go to those houses in our neighbourhood that had a VCR, and put our ears to the door and listen to your films. There was a house nearby where they would set up the VCR at night. If the doors and windows were closed, we would climb and watch the film."