Top 10 Bollywood Dance Sequences of the Last Decade

If only a reunion with friends in real life came with a party anthem like “Badtameez Dil!” It might help cool things off when you’re visiting friends after being MIA for years. This song could also be your go-to if you want to break into a sweat while having a blast at the same time! And who knew dancing in a suit at a party could both look and be so much fun? While actor Ranbir Kapoor made the whole sequence look effortless, he admitted to rehearsing a lot. Choreographer Remo D’Souza’s hook step for the chorus caught on with dancers so much that charade players would immediately be able to guess what you were doing if you performed it during a game of charades!

Rarely do we see exquisite Kathak performances in Bollywood songs and it’s also rare to see accomplished dancer-actor Madhuri Dixit NOT dancing in a song. But that’s ‘Ghar More Pardesiya.’ The soulful classical song shows Madhuri Dixit singing while a group of dancers gracefully sway to her vocals. Soon enough actor Alia Bhatt joins the extravaganza and can be seen singing and dancing. The song is actually a musical conversation about love, and the accompanying dance sequence is quite elegant. The graceful movements of the dancers and Alia Bhatt’s expressions lend the song a spectacular visual effect. Not only did Alia practice Kathak for a year, she worked on this particular song for over two months and even consulted legendary Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj to get her expressions right. As we can see by the final results, all that training was definitely worth the effort.

[‘I know you want it, but you never gonna get it…’] the opening of this song gives enough indication that it’s going to hit us differently - and soon enough we see why! Katrina Kaif thrusts herself boldly at the audience with all her oomph! The song celebrates the confident woman who knows what she’s worth and is happy being by herself. Six costume changes, some acrobatics and Katrina’s sultry charm catapulted this track to an all-time playlist of sizzling dance numbers. The moves choreographed by Farah Khan, especially the hook step, were soon repeated at numerous dancing events. Katrina’s dancing skills also established her as an impressive dancer. Do you think you can pull off the hook step?

Every now and then, Bollywood gives us a song with an incredible symphony of traditional beats that makes its way to a Navratri festival playlist. “Nagada Sang Dhol” not only made its way to the list, but continues to remain there. Deepika Padukone painted the town red with her red-and-gold costume and the endless twirling in this traditional Gujarati folk dance called Garba. Not to mention the fact that she did all this while wearing a heavy ghagra! It was reported that the actor suffered from severe back and shoulder pain and swollen legs while shooting the dance sequence that was meant to bring out the aesthetics of Gujarati culture. The traditional drums, bright colors, extravagant backdrop and passionate dancing turn this high-octane number into a mesmerizing sequence.

This song starring Kareena Kapoor Khan didn’t just compete with other foot-tapping numbers, but also with a song from its own franchise – “Munni Badnaam Hui”. Yet it turned into a roaring success with Kareena’s unmatched sass and sexy movements under Farah Khan’s choreography. Flashy outfits and colorful props like the neon lights and uniquely-designed cars cannot be missed, even with the dazzling performances. While the actor is known for her dancing skills, “Fevicol Se” showed Kareena’s ability to perform in different styles. It's also her first massive hit through an ‘item number,’ a category of songs that don’t necessarily have relevance to the movie plot. It's not just Kareena, aka Bebo, who rocks in this track; the wacky moves of Salman Khan and Arbaz Khan also add to the fun quotient.

A Marathi folk song turning into a sensational hit doesn’t happen often in Bollywood. “Pinga” from “Bajirao Mastani” did exactly that with two stalwarts in one song – Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra — bringing back vibes of ‘Dola Re’ from “Devdas.” Adorned in sarees with traditional jewelry and hair dos, the actresses shot the song in 12 days. Remo D’Souza’s choreography was brilliant and also a surprise for the audience who were, at the time, used to his Western style of dance. Given that the film is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, describing the number as having grandeur is still an understatement. Notice how every frame is striking thanks to the backdrop, the traditional costumes, and the scintillating sequence. And it’s yet another song that made it to the list of popular hook steps.

Katrina Kaif gave Bollywood ‘Sheila Ki Jawani,’ but then transcended her stature with the Marathi-style Lavani dance number, “Chikni Chameli.” Choreographed by veteran Ganesh Acharya, “Chikni Chameli” gave the actor a tough time as she tried adjusting to the fast beat of the award-winning track. The performance of the song was shot over 10 days and Katrina had to focus not just on the moves, but also on getting the expressions right. This was something the choreographer went on to praise her for later on. Be it moving her hips seductively, dangling from a chandelier or dancing with fire around, there’s a lot of drama and Katrina nails the expressions every time. It may be difficult for the audience to replicate the Lavani style, but once this track is on, it’s hard to not dance to its rhythm.

If you already gave up the idea of dancing in a lehenga at the next desi party, watch Deepika Padukone in “Ghoomar” for some inspiration and a whole lot of courage. Deepika had to twirl and twist a lot, we mean a loott, for this track choreographed in the Rajasthani dance style of Ghoomar. The dance form itself is known for movements that involve twirling in circles. What made it further challenging is the actor’s massively heavy lehenga and extravagant jewelry. For the song, the actor trained under accomplished dance expert Jyoti D Tommaar for 12 days. Kudos to Deepika for shooting this song as the first shot of the movie and still wanting to go ahead with the film! The enchanting visuals make it a compelling folk song to watch and even attempt a twirl or two!

Remaking old songs with contemporary music is not new to Bollywood. Yet not every attempt is a success. Nora Fatehi’s “Dilbar” earns distinction for doing that on an enormous scale. It rocked the YouTube charts, earned several records and mesmerized the audience with sensuous belly dance. Nora, a self-taught dancer, set the screen on fire with some serious belly dancing on the floor, in sand and even in water! The song also made its way to dance challenges on social media. One glimpse of her scintillating moves and you’ll see why! The actor-dancer also choreographed parts of the song besides choreographer Adil Shaikh. The Arabic setting with modern touches, peppy music, seductive vocals, and of course, heaps of sultry movements led to this song getting its place in the best Bollywood sequences.

Swag, swag and more swag, that’s “Kala Chasma”! How else can someone explain why the song is trending in 2022 with everyone from Norwegian dancers, Peppa Pig, and Demi Lovato making social posts on it?! Although the reels are a remix of the 2016 track recreated by rapper Badshah, the groovy music is still the same and is what has seen an outpouring of love. The song has been put to screen with a mix of vibrant desi and contemporary pop elements. And of course, there’s the Kala Chashma itself, which translates to ‘black sunglasses.’ Actors Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif exude swag in every frame of the song. The hook step is also a fan favorite. Oh, the best part is that you don’t even have to get the step right as long as you can show off your swag with a pair of black shades!