The premiere of India’s Best Dancer Season 5 on Sony Entertainment Television celebrating India Wala Dance is set to witness an inspiring moment as Terence Lewis asks social media sensation Keshavi Chhetri some interesting questions about reels vs real dancing, while she opens up about her journey, struggles, and determination to prove herself as a performer beyond short-form content.
Welcoming Keshavi to the show, judge Terence Lewis said, “Welcome to India’s Best Dancer Keshavi, kya baat hai aapke itne saare followers hai. Abhi humne dekha bade-bade Bollywood ke hastiyaan aapke social media mein comment karte hai, toh jab aapke paas itna sab kuch hai, so then why aapne yeh choose kiya ki aap India’s Best Dancer ka ek hissa banna chahte ho?”
Responding, Keshavi shared how performing on a big stage had always been a dream for her and her family. She revealed, “Sir, yaha pe jitne bhi dancers hai, pure India mein jitne bhi hai, sabhi ka ek dream hai ki bada sa platform pe perform karna hai, judges ke saamne perform karna hai. Waise hi mera bhi ek sapna tha ki aap sab ke saamne perform karu. Mere mummy ka, mere pure family ka.”
Keshavi also spoke candidly about repeatedly facing rejection during auditions but never giving up on her passion. She said, “Main yaha bahot time se audition de rahi thi but har time main out ho jaa rahi thi. Kabhi kabhi pohch ke bhi peeche aa rahi thi, but fir bhi main sochti thi ki main aur try karungi aur koshish karungi.”
Talking about her rise on social media, Keshavi revealed that she built her identity through Bollywood dance performances, especially on 90s songs. She added, “Maine waha pe Bollywood style ko present kiya hai. Main 90s ke songs pe zyada perform karti hu, specially Karisma Kapoor ma’am ke songs pe mujhe bahot zyada achha lagta hai aur audience mujhe bahot pyaar dete hai.”
During the interaction, Terence Lewis also raised an interesting point about the difference between social media dancing and performing live on stage. He asked, “Keshavi, yaha aapko 2-3 minute dance karna padega. Social media pe aapko filters, VFX sab daalna padta hai, idhar sab real rahega. Kaisa lag raha hai? Challenging hai aapke liye?”
Keshavi then opened up about the criticism she often faces online and her desire to prove herself. She shared, “Mere liye bahot bada challenge hai yeh. Mujhe yeh karke dikhana hai aur mere choreographers ko bhi proud feel karwana hai. Comments mein bahot aata hai ki yeh reel dancer hai, yeh 30 seconds nachti hai. Woh log mujhe comment karte hai ki tu teen minute nach nahi sakti, tu chaar minute nach nahi sakti. Main yaha pe aayi hu toh unko bhi jawab dena chahti hu. Main 30 seconds nahi, pura 4-5 minute nach sakti hu, wahi energy ke saath, wahi clarity ke saath.”
Impressed by her determination and confidence, Terence Lewis encouraged her warmly and wished her luck by saying, “All the best, Keshavi.”
The upcoming episode promises not just spectacular dance performances, but also heartfelt conversations and inspiring journeys that celebrate passion, perseverance, and the dream of making it big on one of India’s biggest dance platforms.
