Bollywood actor and dancer Jaaved Jaaferi revisited the origins of his entertainment career on a recent episode of India's Best Dancer Season 5, revealing that dance — not acting — was his first calling. He appeared on the show alongside host Raghav Juyal, with comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Harsh Limbachiyaa also joining the episode. The show airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

How Dance Led Jaaved to Acting

Jaaferi recounted that his path into films was anything but conventional. 'Actually meri journey bhi dance se hi shuru hui thi. Main actor nahi tha, main dance kar raha tha. All India Dance Championship hui thi hamare yahan, toh woh main jeeta. After that, mujhe acting ke liye calls aane lage, but I was not interested in acting,' he said on the show. Winning the All India Dance Championship opened doors to Bollywood, though he was initially reluctant to step through them.

He clarified that he only took on acting assignments when the role was considered special or significant. It was only gradually, he said, that he transitioned into a recognisable screen presence — after which audiences began calling him specifically for dance performances.

Paying Dancers More Than the Industry Standard

One of the more striking revelations from Jaaferi's appearance was his approach to compensating background dancers during his peak years. He recalled insisting on bringing his own dancers to performances, and paying them ₹2,000 at a time when the industry standard was reportedly ₹500. 'Geeta Maa ko yaad hoga, 500 milta tha dancers ko, I used to give 2000 because I know what a dancer is,' he said, invoking the name of celebrated choreographer Geeta Maa. The anecdote drew a direct line between his own background as a dancer and his empathy for those in the same profession.

Raghav Juyal's Emotional Moment with Contestant Prince

The episode took an emotional turn when host Raghav Juyal encountered contestant Prince, a background dancer whose journey visibly moved him. Raghav drew a parallel between Prince's story and his own. 'Meri bhi journey thodi aapki tarah aur aapki bhi journey meri tarah hai. Hum ek doosre se inspire hote hain. Mere andar se feeling aa rahi hai ki bhai, tu star hai,' he said.

Raghav also connected his trajectory to that of Jaaved Jaaferi, noting that both had begun their screen journeys in villain roles. He cited Shah Rukh Khan as another example of a performer whose career was shaped by early antagonist portrayals. 'Woh journey jo villain se start hoti hai, woh alag hi hoti hai,' he added — suggesting that starting from the margins of a narrative can forge a distinct kind of performer.

The Shared Language of Dancers-Turned-Stars

The exchange between Jaaved Jaaferi and Raghav Juyal underscored a recurring theme on the show: the particular solidarity among performers who built careers through dance before finding mainstream recognition. For Jaaferi, who belongs to an earlier generation of Bollywood's dance-forward entertainers, and for Raghav, who rose through internet virality and reality television, the conversation bridged two eras of the same craft.

India's Best Dancer Season 5 continues to air on Sony Entertainment Television, with the current season spotlighting both established names and emerging talent from the background dancer circuit.