The second season of Zee TV USA's dance reality show, Dance India Dance, will feature Miss India Worldwide 2009 Nikkitasha Marhawa, a student at Northwestern University, as the only U.S. based contestant among the 18 finalists in the competition.
The channel held auditions in the U.S.A, to give America's viewers the chance to compete in Bollywood's hometown (Mumbai). Participants ages 15-30 competed for their shining moment on the DID stage by performing before the show's Grand Master Mithun Da, an acclaimed actor and Bollywood star. The final 18 contestants are divided into three teams led by the choreographers: Geeta Kapoor, Terrence Lewis and Remo. It is a matter of immense pride for the master whose protégé walks away with the coveted "Sunehri Taqdeer Ki Topi."
Marhawa, 20, will represent an Indian American on Master Remo's team and show off her skills in Mumbai. She had to defeat 24 other contestants from around the globe to make the finals. The first non-resident Indian to have reached this far is already being touted as one of the strongest contenders of this season, as observers have remarked on her agility and versatility. Raised in the U.S.A., she harbors a keen interest in Indian classical dance and has trained in the relatively difficult dance forms Mohiniattam and Kuchipudi. Her main audition and hip-hop audition videos can be seen on Youtube.
"We realize Zee has a huge presence in America and over the years we have been making conscious efforts to ensure that we further build on these relationships," Zee TV USA VP of programming Jaideep Balial said in a statement. "Having Nikkitasha as part of our finalists is a great testament to the quality of performers on DID and Zee TV is proud to provide a platform like Dance India Dance for talented individuals in the U.S."
Dance India Dance airs Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m./6 p.m. CT.
