They like to move it

The concept was basic: to scout for dancing talent from across the county. This clicked. And fifteen years later,Boogie Woogie still sets the TRPs soaring. Its latest season,which went on air earlier this month,after a year-long break,still gives a sense of deja vu. Over the years,the trio might have added a few embellishments like,celebrity judges,participant clippings,newer rounds and lavish sets,but the essence of the show remains the same. “If something isn’t broken,don’t try and fix it,” believes Ravi,who claims that the Kids Championship in the show’s 15th year,will take dance to a higher level.

Their biggest USP though continues to be their ability to connect with the common man. “Today,we can proudly say that Boogie Woogie was the first talent-hunt show that reached the interiors of India,” says Jaaved,who is proud that many of the participants have returned to their little towns and opened dance schools there. And this is something he was sure of even before the show went on air. Known as one of India’s best dancers,Jaaved had done shows in towns like Asansol and Dibrugarh and had witnessed the drive and passion in people. “There was a huge market waiting to be tapped there,” says Jaaved.

However,this journey has not been without hiccups. The trio first took this concept to a then popular entertainment channel,which was apprehensive of airing it. Around the same time,Sony Entertainment Channel was launching in India. “Our friend Suresh Iyer was on the board and he encouraged us,” says Ravi. Still,there were pitfalls ahead. “We had provided Sony with a bank of episodes. But the channel didn’t air them for a while. They were skeptical if it would work,” says Jaaved. But two weeks into its telecasting,Boogie Woogie had struck a chord. And now,Naved,rightly terms this as “an organisation which has found its comfort level with the viewers”.

Despite its success,the show had to fight being tagged as “downmarket” and “vernacular” by certain sections of people in its early days. “None of the South Mumbai children wanted to be a part of it. According to them,it did not match up to their level,” says Jaaved. “When people came from Thane,Mulund,Nalasopara and states like Bihar and West Bengal,everyone was shocked to see the talent our country possessed,” says Ravi. He reveals that influential people have at certain times tried to push their kith and kin into the competition. “But we select participants only through auditions. To be a part of Boogie Woogie you have to be an excellent dancer,” he stresses.

Apart from the dance and young talents,what draws eyeballs is the element of humour,which is quite inane on most occasions. While Jaaved plays the serious judge,Naved and Ravi “bring the Laurel and Hardy brand of humour to the show”. Ravi tells us that most of their gags are spontaneous. “We look for jokes on our mobile on many occasions,” says Ravi,who makes sure that their jokes do not cross the line of decency.

With as many as three dance shows currently on air,many feared that Boogie Woogie would face stiff competition. But the trio appear unfazed. “With a population like India’s,even 500 dance reality shows will find takers,” says Jaaved.

Down Memory Lane
* One of their highest-rated episodes ever was when the trio played superheroes. With Naved as Diaperman,Ravi as Fartman and Jaaved as Zorro Zorvani,the audience was in splits.
* One of the most touching moments had two children afflicted with polio performing on the show. Since their legs were weak,they danced on their hands.
* It was heart-wrenching to watch a deaf boy dance excellently. His elder brother give him taal since he couldn’t hear the music.
* On Mummys special show,a traditional Gujarati lady auditioned despite her husband’s protests. On the disco special episode,she sported leather pants and jacket with a Lady Gaga-like hairdo.