Ukrainian dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy to judge `Jhalak...7`

Mumbai: The new season of "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7" will not just throw surprises one after the other at contestants, challenging them to groove to dance forms like Capoeira, Zouk and Bolero, but it will also have a fourth judge - winner of "Dancing With The Stars 2014" Maksim Chmerkovskiy.Chmerkovskiy, a Ukrainian dance expert and professional Latin ballroom dancer, will join Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Karan Johar and Remo D`Souza on the jury panel of the show, which will go on air on Saturday.

The judges will be stricter and they will be seen in new avatars - while Madhuri will give her lehengas and saris a miss this season for a sexier and hotter look, Karan will take on a no-nonsense demeanour, and Remo will be seen sporting a grunge look. They`re all excited. Back for the fourth season in a row, Madhuri said: "This season, it is not only a challenge for the contestants, but also for us as judges. I have been training in Latin dance forms and am looking forward to see some newer dance forms from the contestants as well." Karan has a special gift for the best performers - "a specially designed pair of dancing shoes", and Remo is looking forward to an interesting mix of contestants and choreographers. Raj Nayak, CEO, of an entertainment channel, is confident that the freshness in the new season will appeal to the audience. "Season after season it becomes essential for us to push the boundaries of possibility and showcase something new and different. This season, we decided to bring the world to our `Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa` stage. "Giving the stage a truly global flavour will be never-seen-before dance forms from all the corners of the globe to an exciting new jury member of international repute," Nayak said in a statement. Hosted by Ranvir Shorey and last season`s winner, actress Drashti Dhami, this season, dancing and performances will no longer be confined to the dimensions of the stage but will venture outdoors as well. Also, dancers Salman Yusuff Khan and Lauren Gottleib will take on the role of adversaries and join hands to challenge contestants in a dance combat. There will also be popular comedian Sudesh Lehri to provide some much-needed comic relief. The contestants and choreographers: Comedian Palak (Kiku Sharda) with Kruti Actor Karan Tacker with Suchitra Singer Sukhwinder Singh with Bhavna Actor Purab Kohli with Mohena Singer-actress Sophie Choudry with Deepak Young dancer Akshat Singh with Vaishnavi Actor Ashish Sharma with Shampa Actress Mouni Roy with Punit Actress Puja Banerjee with Rajit VJ Andy with Bhavini Actress Kritika Kamra with SavioA Former cricketer S.Sreesanth with Sneha Dancer Shakti Mohan with Tushar