'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9' contestants cry foul over choreographer Salman Yusuf Khan's participation in the show's latest season.

The ninth season of Jhalak Dikhhla is set to go on air next weekend, and the contestant line-up includes some with two left feet. One participant, however, seems to have an edge - Salman Yusuf Khan, who has been a choreographer on the show in earlier editions. The decision to have him compete on the show has irked other contestants.

Actress Nora Fatehi, who is taking part in the dance reality show, said, "It's not fair to us that Salman is suddenly a contestant. He is a gazillion steps ahead of us and understands the game. There have been seasons of Jhalak where trained dancers like Lauren Gottlieb participated, but this is different."

TV actor Arjun Bijlani chose to play it safe by saying, "He is part of JDJ now, so I cannot comment. In fact, he will be able to raise the bar and others will strive to match his level." Karishma Tanna shared similar sentiments. "We cannot judge what's fair and what's unfair. Salman is a good performer. He has been brought on the show so that we can get inspired by him."


A few other contestants see it as an unfair move by the production house, but did not wish to come on record. When we contacted Salman for a comment, he said, "A lot of contestants have told me it's not fair. But the production team has got me back on board, which means the audience wants to see me. They could have picked any choreographer from my batch. I used to be the guy who choreographed celebs with huge fan following. Have I ever said that's not fair?"