'The Khans are talented at producing handsome kids'

India's Got Talent host Malaika Arora Khan talks item songs, family and her renewed stint on reality television.

Malaika Arora Khan returns to television as a judge for the latest edition of reality show India’s Got Talent, set to commence on January 11 on Colors at 9 pm.

Malaika, who joins director-producer Karan Johar and actress Kiron Kher on the judges' panel, talks to Rajul Hegde about the show and her new role as a producer.

What can we expect from this season of India's Got Talent?

Last year, I judged only the audition round. This season I will be in from start to finish. That itself is something new for me.

Year after year, you keep getting new talent. But this year is by far the best.

There is a variety of talent from the age of three to 80 years.

The show has moved beyond the stage to the outdoors, water, and even a circus.

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Would you like to learn a new talent at this stage of your life?

I would love to learn something new every year.

When I was shooting, I made up my mind to learn to ride a bike after seeing the bike stunts.

I also want to learn belly dancing and acrobatics.

What hidden talent do the Khan Brothers (Salman, Sohail, and Arbaaz who is married to Malaika) have?

(Thinks) They have the talent of producing handsome kids.

Except Salman. Whenever he gets married, his (kid) will be handsome.

What talent does your son have?

He is very young, just 11. His life is all about football.

What happens later on, I don’t know.

He can sing pretty well. He keeps singing Party All Night and makes me sing it too.

How are the three of you different as judges?

Kiron is very particular and precise and has experience of five years of judging the show.

Karan can be extremely funny, witty, brings out the lighter moments, but is also very strict.

I am a bit of a softy and tend to melt very easily. I get taken in when people make small faces.

Which has been the scariest act so far?

There have been quite a few. The one where this man sets himself on fire and jumped from 30 feet into the pool of water was very scary.

And there was another guy who did a headstand on a thin pole at some 25 feet height or more.

And there are silly ones also like people eating creepy crawlies, which I can’t watch.

Was there an act that really moved you?

I was truly inspired by Delhi’s Subhreet Kaur's ability to dance on just one leg. She is easily the most spirited contestant on the show.

Despite her disability she kept smiling throughout her performance.

My son saw her in the promos and insisted he wanted to meet her. I am looking forward to introducing my son to her.

Are you appearing in a special song in a film or are you too busy being a producer?

I am busy with film productions. We have made two films and are in the process of making a third, Dolly Ki Doli.

Will you do a special song or appearance in Dolly Ki Doli?

At the moment, I don’t know because I am busy with the work.

I am really enjoying it. I have never been so actively involved in production before.

Do you take offence when what you do is called an ‘item song’?

I don’t like the term ‘item’. Why can’t you look at it as a special song that is creating hype and entertainment?

I find ‘item girls’ very silly and derogatory.

Leading actresses are also doing a lot of special or item songs. Are they eating into the work of others?

Not at all. There is enough work for everybody.

Whether somebody fits into a certain type or requirement is what really matters.

Would you give a chance to a contestant on the show that you like, to act in your film?

Certainly, that is the whole point.

You never know, we may use them for playback or choreography.

Have you found any talent on the show?

There are quite a few who are talented but I don’t want to talk about them till the season gets over.