Key Takeaways
- Dance India Dance (DID) aired on Zee TV for seven seasons, from 30 January 2009 to 29 September 2019.
- The winners were Salman Yusuff Khan, Shakti Mohan, Rajasmita Kar, Shyam Yadav, Proneeta Swargiary, Sanket Gaonkar and the group Unreal Crew.
- Mithun Chakraborty was grandmaster for seasons 1 to 6; season 7 had a new panel of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bosco Martis and Raftaar.
- As of September 2026 there has been no eighth season of the main show, but the Li’l Masters and Super Moms spin-offs both returned in 2022.
Dance India Dance is an Indian dance reality show that connected with the audience. The popularity of the show in different parts of the country is enough to tell the potential of the show.
Dance India Dance (DID) Winners List of All Seasons
In short, it is a talent hunt show that gives an opportunity to the dancers in the country. An excellent platform to display the skills nationwide and become a professional dancer in the country. However, many people around the world do not know about the winners and their current projects.
Judges & Masters
Veteran Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty was the show’s grandmaster, or head judge, for its first six seasons, from 2009 until the reformatted seventh season in 2019. His highest honor for a contestant was the “Grand Salute”.
- Remo D’Souza.
- Terence Lewis.
- choreographer Mudassar Khan.
- Marzi Pestonji.
- Geeta Kapoor.
The choreographers listed above are among the best-known masters who judged and mentored contestants on Dance India Dance alongside the grandmaster.
Dance India Dance did not tie contestants to a single dance technique or method. The format let dancers compete in Indian and international styles, including Indian classical, Bollywood, Kalaripayattu, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, salsa and musical theatre.
Dance India Dance (DID) Rules
Dance India Dance was made for participants from across India, and its open auditions were typically open to dancers aged 15 to 30 at the time of their audition. Major Bollywood choreographers have judged the show and appeared in the show as a special guest.
Dance India Dance premiered on Zee TV on 30 January 2009 and ran for seven seasons, the last of which ended on 29 September 2019. Below is every winner and runner-up, followed by what is publicly known about each winner’s later career.
Quick answer: Dance India Dance ran for seven seasons on Zee TV between 2009 and 2019. Salman Yusuff Khan won the first and the dance group Unreal Crew won the last, on 29 September 2019. The flagship show has not returned since, although the Li’l Masters and Super Moms spin-offs have continued.
| Season | Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009 | Salman Yusuff Khan | Alisha Singh | Mithun Chakraborty, Geeta Kapoor, Terence Lewis, Remo D’Souza |
| 2 | 2009–10 | Shakti Mohan | Dharmesh Yelande | Mithun Chakraborty, Geeta Kapoor, Terence Lewis, Remo D’Souza |
| 3 | 2011–12 | Rajasmita Kar | Pradeep Gurung | Mithun Chakraborty, Geeta Kapoor, Terence Lewis, Remo D’Souza |
| 4 | 2013–14 | Shyam Yadav | Manan Sachdeva | Mithun Chakraborty, Mudassar Khan, Feroz Khan, Shruti Merchant |
| 5 | 2015 | Proneeta Swargiary | Nirmal Tamang | Mithun Chakraborty, Mudassar Khan, Punit Pathak, Gaiti Siddiqui |
| 6 | 2017–18 | Sanket Gaonkar | Sachin Sharma | Mithun Chakraborty, Mudassar Khan, Marzi Pestonji, Mini Pradhan |
| 7 | 2019 | Unreal Crew | I Am Hip-Hop | Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bosco Martis, Raftaar |
DID Season 1 Winner – Salman Yusuff Khan (Year: 2009)
DID season one winner Salman Yusuff Khan defeated Alisha Singh to become the winner. The show started on 30 January, and it crossed 18 weeks and completed on 30 May 2009. Yusuff career boosted in dance & choreography after DID S1. Khan appeared in “Most Wanted Track” in 2009, and he became part of several movies after S1.
Salman did not look back in his career and he continuously performed in television shows and movies. In 2011, he appeared in “Mila Toh Marega” song in Rakta Charitra. He started to get choreographer jobs in Bollywood movies from 2014, and he worked as a choreographer in several movies.
His 2018 work included the Tamil dance film Lakshmi, released on 24 August 2018, and choreography for Welcome to New York; Dil Jungle was also reported among his projects that year. The Remo D’Souza dance film he appeared in next, Street Dancer 3D, was released on 24 January 2020. Salman Yusuff Khan, born on 12 June 1985, later served as a team captain on Dance Plus season 6 in 2021 and, in 2023, appeared in Fursat, a promotional short film for Apple directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.
Dance India Dance Season 2 Winner – Shakti Mohan (Year: 2010)
Zee TV saw the potential of the show, and the team decided to air the season two on December 2009. On 23 April 2010, Shakti Mohan declared the winner of the DID season two. Fortunately, the DID helped her gain plenty of respect from the Bollywood and audience.
Mohan talent recognized by the judges and filmmakers in the country. She participated in “Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan” along with Supriya Kumari. Between 2010 and 2015 she made many reality-show appearances as a guest or special performer; the earlier count of 14 shows could not be independently confirmed. She also played the lead in the teen dance series Dil Dosti Dance (2011) and was a finalist on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2014.
In 2015, Star Plus “Dance Plus” talent hunt show offered Mohan to become one of the judges on the show. She accepted and has been a judge and team captain on Dance Plus since its first season in 2015; her team won season 6, which streamed on Disney+ Hotstar in 2021, and she returned as a captain for season 7, Dance Plus Pro.
Mohan gained a tremendous amount of following since 2015, and the credits go to her involvement with the “Dance Plus” show. Shakti Mohan has also appeared in music videos such as Kamli (2013) and Aakhri Baar (2019), choreographed “Nainowale Ne” in Padmaavat, her first Bollywood song as a choreographer, and choreographed a song for the film Shamshera, released in July 2022.
Dance India Dance Season 3 Winner – Rajasmita Kar (Year: 2012)
The winner of season three announced on 21 April 2012. Rajasmita Kar won the season 3 final with a reported 48,890,030 votes, a figure that could not be independently confirmed; Pradeep Gurung was first runner-up and Raghav Juyal second runner-up. Rajasmita Kar did not go on to the same national film and television profile as some other winners, and she has kept a low profile in national media since her win.
Earlier reports described her as a judge on an Odia dance reality series; whether she still holds that role could not be confirmed as of September 2026. The show airs on Zee Sarthak Odia and the dance show called “DOD Supermoms.” Kar is an Indian professional dancer and choreographer.
Kar never received training from professionals and she never classically trained. Smita relies on instinct and her physical ability.
Dance India Dance Season 4 Winner – Shyam Yadav (Year: 2014)
The Dance India Dance season 4 winner announced as Yadav on 22 February 2014. Jay Bhanushali and Ishita Sharma hosted the season. The judges were Mudassar Khan, Shruti Merchant, and Feroz Khan. Shyam was in Mudassar Ki Mandali team, and the runners-up were Manan Sachdeva and Biki Das.
Shyam started to practice dancing at the age of seven, and he had no professional teacher. He participated in many small contests to get professional training. The young man hails from Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Shyam Yadav has kept a lower national profile than some other winners since his 2014 win, and little verified information about his later career is publicly available.
Dance India Dance Season 5 Winner – Proneeta Swargiary (Year: 2015)
After a break of more than a year following the season 4 finale in February 2014, Zee TV brought the show back for season five in 2015. The Dance India Dance Season 5 started with Grand-master veteran Actor Mithun Chakraborty.
The show started on 27 June 2015, and the winner emerged as Proneeta Swargiary on 10 October 2015. Jay Bhanushali hosted the show, and the judges were Mudassar Khan, Punit Pathak, and Gaiti.
Proneeta is from Bodoland Territorial Area Districts, in Assam. The family moved to Delhi due to personal reasons, so she is living in Delhi. After winning she moved into professional dance work and started a YouTube channel.
She has continued to perform and teach since taking the title.
Dance India Dance Season 6 Winner – Sanket Gaonkar (Year: 2018)
The producers of the DID took two years of break, and they announced the season six by starting the show on 4 November 2017. The new format had Amruta Khanvilkar and Sahil Khattar as hosts. The show judged by choreographer Mudassar Khan, Marzi Pestonji and Mini Pradhan.
Sanket Gaonkar was reported to have been born and raised in Karnataka. DID is not the only dancing competition contest he has participated. The young man has Dhee Jodi and Stars of Karnataka trophy under his name.
Sanket spoke to IndianExpress and said, “I used to train under my uncle, who was a dancer. From the age of eight, I would be with him and follow his steps. He was my sole inspiration and teacher. Unfortunately, I lost him in a car accident, and from then I have been dancing to keep his passion alive. My family also says that he left his dreams for me to complete. I would watch videos on YouTube and practice for hours on the beach near my home.”
Like every average Indian family, Sanket parents were against the dancing career. The young man competed in Dhee Jodi against everyone wishes, and he emerged as the winner. The perception of the parents changed quickly after the moderate success came to the young dancer.
Dance India Dance Season 7 Winner: Unreal Crew – North Ke Nawabs (Year: 2019)
The seventh season was rebranded as Dance India Dance: Battle of the Champions and ran from 22 June to 29 September 2019. It replaced the format that had carried the first six seasons: instead of individual contestants competing for themselves, dancers were grouped into four zonal teams, each led by a mentor.
Unreal Crew won it, a tutting and animation group who danced for Team North Ke Nawabs under mentor Bhawna Khanduja. They beat I Am Hip-Hop in the final. It is the only season of the show won by a group rather than a solo dancer.
The season also brought an entirely new panel. Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bosco Martis and Raftaar replaced the line-up that Mithun Chakraborty had led as grandmaster since 2009, and Karan Wahi hosted.
Inhone laya hai dance ka agla daur! ????????????????????????
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Congratulations The Unreal Crew! Keep dancing!
.#DanceKaJungistaan #DanceIndiaDance #BattleOfTheChampions #NorthKeNawabs @raftaarmusic @BoscoMartis @KareenaK_FC @Bhawna_Khanduja @karan009wahi @ZeeTV pic.twitter.com/v3kWKVDN1j— Zee TV (@ZeeTV) September 29, 2019
Is There a Dance India Dance Season 8?
No. As of September 2026 there has been no eighth season of the flagship show. Season 7 ended on 29 September 2019 and Zee TV has not brought the parent format back since.
The franchise itself did not stop, though. The spin-offs Dance India Dance Li’l Masters, for child dancers, and Dance India Dance Super Moms have both run further seasons, which is why people often assume the main show is still going.
Dance India Dance Winners: Facts and Records
- One grandmaster for six seasons: Mithun Chakraborty led the judging panel from season 1 in 2009 through to season 6, and left before the reformatted seventh season.
- Only one group has won: the first six titles went to solo dancers. Unreal Crew, in 2019, is the only group winner.
- Several seasons ran across two calendar years, which is why the same season is sometimes dated differently. Season 2 ran through 2009 and 2010, season 3 through 2011 and 2012, season 4 through 2013 and 2014, and season 6 through 2017 and 2018.
- Shakti Mohan won season 2, not season 1. She is often miscredited with the first title, which went to Salman Yusuff Khan.
- A launchpad for choreographers: Salman Yusuff Khan, Shakti Mohan and season 2 runner-up Dharmesh Yelande all went on to careers in choreography, film and television.
- The last season changed everything: new name, new format built around four mentored zonal teams, and a new panel of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bosco Martis and Raftaar.
For more dance and talent winners lists, see Dance Plus, India’s Got Talent and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs.
How Did Dance India Dance Work?
Dance India Dance was an Indian Hindi-language dance competition produced by Essel Vision Productions for Zee TV. It was a remake of the Bengali show Dance Bangla Dance, which premiered in 2007.
- Open auditions: held in five or six major Indian cities each season, typically for dancers aged 15 to 30. Dancers who impressed the masters received the “Taqdeer Ki Topi” (Hat of Destiny) and moved straight to the next round.
- Mega auditions: a multi-day round that tested around 100 hopefuls on stamina and on picking up new styles, cutting the field to 36 and then to 18 finalists.
- Teams: the 18 finalists were split into three teams of six, each named after and mentored by one master, such as Mudassar Ki Mandali, Marzi Ke Mastane and Mini Ke Masterblasters in season 6.
- Weekly competition: dancers performed solo, duet and group routines, and viewer votes combined with the judges’ input decided who advanced each week.
Season 7 changed this format: acts, including groups, competed in four zonal teams named North Ke Nawabs, East Ke Tigers, South Ke Thalaivas and West Ke Singhams.
Dance India Dance Seasons: Dates and Hosts
| Season | Premiere | Finale | Host(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 January 2009 | 30 May 2009 | Jay Bhanushali, Saumya Tandon |
| 2 | 18 December 2009 | 23 April 2010 | Jay Bhanushali, Saumya Tandon |
| 3 | 24 December 2011 | 21 April 2012 | Jay Bhanushali, Saumya Tandon |
| 4 | 26 October 2013 | 22 February 2014 | Jay Bhanushali, Ishita Sharma |
| 5 | 27 June 2015 | 10 October 2015 | Jay Bhanushali |
| 6 | 4 November 2017 | 2018 | Amruta Khanvilkar, Sahil Khattar |
| 7 | 22 June 2019 | 29 September 2019 | Karan Wahi |
Dance India Dance Spin-Off Winners
The Dance India Dance franchise also produced spin-offs for children, mothers and couples. According to Wikipedia’s Dance India Dance article, these were the winners of the main spin-off seasons.
| Spin-off | Season | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| DID Li’l Masters | 1 | Jeetumoni Kalita |
| DID Li’l Masters | 2 | Faisal Khan |
| DID Li’l Masters | 3 (from 1 March 2014) | Teriya Magar |
| DID Li’l Masters | 4 (from 3 March 2018) | Jiya Thakur |
| DID Doubles | 1 (final aired 9 April 2011) | Amit and Falon |
| DID Super Moms | 1 (from 1 June 2013) | Mithu Chakravarty |
| DID Super Moms | 2 (2015) | Harpreet Khatri |
| DID Super Moms | 3 (from 2 July 2022) | Varsha Bumra, with choreographer Vartika Jha |
DID Li’l Masters season 5 began on 12 March 2022, judged by Remo D’Souza, Sonali Bendre and Mouni Roy. Zee also made regional versions of the format, including Dance Maharashtra Dance, Dance Karnataka Dance, Dance Odisha Dance, Dance Tamizha Dance and Dance India Dance Telugu.
Several DID finalists later became mentors on other shows: season 2 runner-up Dharmesh Yelande and season 2 winner Shakti Mohan were captains on Dance Plus. To learn more about the styles contestants performed, see this guide to the different dance forms of India. For other long-running Indian reality formats, see the Khatron Ke Khiladi winners list, on which Salman Yusuff Khan competed in season 5, and the Bigg Boss winners list.
Dance India Dance Winners: Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Dance India Dance season 7?
The dance group Unreal Crew won season 7, Dance India Dance: Battle of the Champions, in the final on 29 September 2019. They danced for Team North Ke Nawabs and beat I Am Hip-Hop. It is the only season won by a group rather than a solo dancer.
Who has won Dance India Dance?
Seven acts have won the show: Salman Yusuff Khan (2009), Shakti Mohan (2010), Rajasmita Kar (2012), Shyam Yadav (2014), Proneeta Swargiary (2015), Sanket Gaonkar (2018) and Unreal Crew (2019). The full list with runners-up and judges is in the table above.
Is there a Dance India Dance season 8?
No. The flagship show has not returned since season 7 ended in September 2019. The spin-offs Dance India Dance Li’l Masters and Dance India Dance Super Moms have continued to air, which is a common source of confusion.
Which season of Dance India Dance did Shakti Mohan win?
Shakti Mohan won season 2, which ran across 2009 and 2010, beating Dharmesh Yelande. She is frequently miscredited with the first season, which was won by Salman Yusuff Khan.
Who won the first season of Dance India Dance?
Salman Yusuff Khan won the first season in 2009, with Alisha Singh as runner-up. Mithun Chakraborty was the grandmaster and the judges were Geeta Kapoor, Terence Lewis and Remo D’Souza.
Who were the judges on Dance India Dance?
Mithun Chakraborty was the grandmaster for the first six seasons, alongside panels that included Geeta Kapoor, Terence Lewis, Remo D’Souza, Mudassar Khan, Punit Pathak and Marzi Pestonji. Season 7 had a completely new panel of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bosco Martis and Raftaar.
What is the difference between Dance India Dance and DID Li’l Masters?
Dance India Dance is the parent show for adult dancers. DID Li’l Masters is the spin-off for child dancers, and DID Super Moms is the spin-off for mothers. The spin-offs have kept running since the main show stopped in 2019.
Conclusion
Zee TV has not brought the flagship show back since 2019, but across seven seasons it shaped a generation of dancers in the country. Let us know what do you think about the winners and the talent hunt show in the comment section below.
