Raipur Dancer Ritesh Pal Wins India's Best Dancer Season 5

Grand Finale Win

Raipur's Ritesh Pal and his choreographer Pratik Utekar won the trophy for India's Best Dancer Season 5 on Sony Entertainment Television. Along with the title, Ritesh received a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh. Anishka Dhara took the first runner-up spot with Rs 3 lakh, while Prathamesh Mane became the second runner-up and received Rs 2 lakh. The other finalists in the competition were Dipali Borkar and Geetanjali Marwaha.

Performances and Judges

The grand finale featured a star-studded panel of judges including Karisma Kapoor, Jaaved Jaaferi, Geeta Kapur, and Terence Lewis, alongside special guests Jackie Shroff, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Sidharth Malhotra. Throughout the season, which followed the theme 'India Wala Dance', Ritesh won the weekly battle trophy three times. Both Ritesh and Pratik come from a contemporary dance background and explored various new dance styles on the show.

Context

Reality television dance competitions in India often feature intense regional participation, drawing talent from cities across the country to showcase diverse dance forms to a national audience. Shows like India's Best Dancer provide a massive platform for contestants and choreographers to work together and reach mainstream television viewers.