'I said yes to Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena because of Sushmita'

Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram is now dabbling in something he has never tried before -- judging a television dance show. Not to forget, even dancing on the show!

He talks to Rajul Hegde about Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, who his favourite dancer is on the show, and why he chose to be a part of this show.Also Read: When cricketers took to the dance floor!Why judge a dance show?

When I was told that this was a dance reality show, I asked them what I was going to do on it. Then they told me that there would be six cricketers dancing and I would be judging them. So I thought why not have fun with it! But the real reason why I said yes was Sushmita Sen [Images]. She is my all-time favourite and I was lucky enough be her co-judge.

How has the experience been?It was fun and a very different experience. Working with cricketers and beautiful ladies of the industry was exceptional. Sushmita is a professional and down-to-earth person, and I enjoyed her company. To see the cricketers practice dance for 12 hours and perform was amazing.

Do you watch reality shows?I did earlier, but only the dance shows. I also like Bigg Boss 2.Who is your favourite couple on Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena? All are good and have worked really hard. Sreesanth [Images] is a very good dancer.Also Read: Mona Singh, Harbhajan go dancing!Honestly, now wouldn't you like to flirt with Sushmita?

Why not? [laughs]Sushmita said cricketers are very intelligent.Oh really? When did she say this? But I don't consider myself stupid, that's for sure [laughs].You danced on the show as well.

Yes, I did. I was quite nervous when I performed to the title track of Don. I had rehearsed for nearly three hours, but as soon as I started, I almost forgot my steps.Are we going to see more of you on television?If something interesting comes my way I will definitely take it up.




What about acting in Bollywood?It's not my cup of tea. I love watching films. It's hard work for me to act. I can only watch. [smiles]What do you think about cricketers getting into showbiz?

I don't think it is wrong. If cricketers have enough time on their hands, why not have some fun? But at the end of the day, cricket should not be compromised.

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Sushmita swings Wasim Akram her way

Guess who's making former Pakistan cricket captain and swing king Wasim Akram sway to her tunes nowadays? Bollywood actress and former beauty queen Sushmita Sen.

Akram, who is currently co-judging an Indian reality TV show Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina with Sushmita, is totally gaga over the actress."I think she is an incredible person, very helpful, extremely professional and, yes, she has really made me comfortable on the show," said Akram in an interview.Akram first interacted with Sushmita in Dubai in 2006.

"I met her about two years ago in Dubai. We did a telethon for Imran Khan's cancer hospital together. That was two days in a row and almost three hours live on TV. So I got to interact with her. We managed to raise quite a bit of money," he said.Sushmita was also one of the reasons why he agreed to be on the judging panel of this show."So far the game is really exciting and fun. It's something very different and that's why I agreed to the show and, plus, I was told that Sushmita would be there; so I agreed."

Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina pits six pairs of a cricketer and a TV actress each to display their dancing skills. The cricketers on the show include S. Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Vinod Kambli, Irfan Pathan, Dinesh Kartik and Nikhil Mehra.

In one of the recent episodes, Akram has been seen reciting shayari (Urdu couplets) to flatter the actress, but he has not shaken a leg with her so far. Any plans?"Maybe. In fact, they have tried to make me dance, but I really can't handle that sort of pressure. Playing the world cup final twice was okay, but not this," he says.

Akram is also entirely dependent on Sushmita to judge the dancing capabilities of the contestants, as he "can't make out the head or tail of dancing"."I wanted to see how the cricketers behave on the stage. I'm not judging the technicalities of their dance. For that Sushmita is there. I have no clue about dancing, what would I comment. I'm not looking at their steps at all. For me, their passion is important," he said.

He added: "We are not looking for a dance icon who would go into Bollywood and dance. The idea is to have cricketers dancing and see how they do on the stage. The girls, all six of them, are very talented and excellent. But, for the boys, it's a new thing."So what is his criterion for judging? "For me it's like one day cricket - perform on the day, if you play well, you'll win."

Akram feels that though such a show will be a hit in Pakistan, not many cricketers there will agree to take part in it."It will be a big hit there no doubt, but where will the Pakistani cricketers dance there? I don't think the Pakistani cricketers will dance. First let them play well at least," he said and laughed.

A lot of actors in India and Pakistan are looking to make a mark in Bollywood, but Akram feels otherwise."I do enjoy acting and watching movies. But acting is a proper profession; you have to learn for it. I've seen cricketers who have done films. But after one or two films, they are not seen any more and I don't want to be one of them."I am happy to leave acting in Bollywood to Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan - all these great actors," said Akram.

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