Secular “Bhavs” Of Remixed Dances: Dance Reality Shows As Soft Resistance

Abstract

The relationship between Bollywood song and dance numbers and Dance Reality shows is long, intimate, and intricate. Item numbers are globally circulated, shape identities, and are remediated through Reality Shows; at the same time, new digital platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have further increased the visibility of screen dance genres, including Bollywood and Bollywood-derived Reality Shows. These phenomena have received relatively little scholarly attention. The author has analyzed the mixing, porosity, and consumerism of screen dance genres of Bollywood item numbers using the lens of “remix” (2017). This chapter will argue that the remix aesthetics on Reality Shows have forged an emotional (affective) hybridity that is antithetical to the fervor of authoritarian Hindu nationalism of contemporary Indian culture. As the fervor of Hindutva sweeps across various cultural spaces and practices from Bollywood to yoga to classical and folk dance and music, attempting to create a homogenized mono-cultural India, it seems few spaces remain independent of such purity discourse. The author will argue that Dance Reality Shows perhaps remain a resistant space by embracing remixes, hybridity, and inclusivity in their production. By analyzing a few song and dance sequences from Bombay/Bollywood films and focusing on shows such as “Dance India Dance” and “Just Dance”, the chapter will explore how these screen dances represent values of pluralism, democracy, and secularism for aspirational Indians. Finally, it will explore the workings of participatory democracy and a resilient cosmopolitanism through popular media such as Dance Reality Shows