Dancing has long been considered a recreational activity in India, but the emergence of popular dance TV shows has completely changed that perception. From Boogie Woogie, the first dance reality show, to Dance India Dance, dance reality shows have not only given enthusiastic dancers a platform but also helped them carve a career for themselves. The best part about these dance competitions is that, in addition to the winners, many other contestants rose to prominence and won the hearts of the public. Do you ever wonder what they’re up to? We did some research and scrolled through their social media accounts to get a career update on your favorite contestants.
Salman Yusuff Khan
Salman Yusuff Khan is an actor, dancer, and choreographer who won Season 1 of Dance India Dance. His career took off after the show. Khan appeared in the title song of Wanted after winning the show. He later also won a celebrity dance reality show called Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. He made his Bollywood debut with ABCD-Anybody Can Dance1 and also reappeared in ABCD-2.
He then appeared in the music video “Dance Of Death” for the film Rakta Charitra, as well as in the video Alive (2011). He made an appearance in the film Sukoon – Vaishali Made. In 2020, he starred in the dance film Street Dancer 3D, directed by Remo D’Souza and co-starring Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Raghav Juyal, and Nora Fatehi.
- Shakti Mohan
Winner of Zee TV’s dance reality show Dance India Dance 2, Shakti Mohan owns a dance company, Nritya Shakti. She also played the main lead character in the fictional dance-based teen series Dil Dosti Dance. Her first Bollywood song as a choreographer was “Nainowale Ne” from the film Padmaavat. She has her For Seasons 1-4, she was also a judge and mentor on the dance competition reality show Dance Plus. Shakti was also a part of a 2020 L’Oréal Paris campaign. Shakti also choreographed a song for Ranbir Kapoor in Karan Malhotra’s upcoming film Shamshera in 2020.
- Dharmesh Yelande
Yelande made his television debut as the famous “Dharmesh sir” auditioning for Dance India Dance. He was already teaching Dance before that. He quickly became one of the show’s most popular contestants. Even though he did not win, this did not deter him from achieving success. Farah Khan hired him to choreograph the film Tees Maar Khan. He made his acting debut in the 3D dance-based Indian film AnyBody Can Dance – ABCD in 2013, and he also appeared in the sequel in 2015 with Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. He is the owner of the D’virus Dance Academy in Vadodara. In 2020, he co-starred with Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Nora Fatehi, and Raghav Juyal in the dance film Street Dancer 3D. He later competed in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 10 and finished as the second runner-up. He was a judge on Dance Deewane Season 3 in 2021. He is currently preoccupied with upcoming projects.
- Punit Pathak
This dancing treasure was discovered during Season 2 of Dance India Dance. His Little Master Sachin Tendulkar’s performance on Aala Re Aala Sachin won the hearts of billions of Indians. He rose to prominence after making his Bollywood debut in the film ABCD: Any Body Can Dance (2013). He was also in ABCD 2. Mr Pathak is also one of the Dance + mentors (a dance reality show). He appeared in the romantic comedy film Nawabzaade in 2018. In 2019, he was the winner of Colors TV’s stunt-based reality shows Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9. In 2020, he starred in the dance film Street Dancer 3D, directed by Remo D’Souza and co-starring Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, and Nora Fatehi.
- Raghav Juyal
He has been dubbed the “King of Slow Motion” for his surreal slow motion dance moves and his reinvention of the Slow Motion Walk in India. He rose to prominence as a finalist and contestant on Zee TV’s dance reality show Dance India Dance 3. He is an excellent actor as well as a dancer. His wit and sound mind led him to host several reality shows, including Dance+ and Rising Star. Dil Hai Hindustani, etc. He also co-hosted and appeared in the Colors Golden Petal Awards and the Star Parivaar Awards. He also appeared in Season 7 of Khatron Ke Khiladi. In 2020, he co-starred with Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, and Nora Fatehi in the dance film Street Dancer 3D.
It is rightly said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” The world is full of opportunities, all you have to do is grab one for yourself and work tirelessly with your eyes on the goal.
