Raipur dancer Ritesh Pal and his choreographer Pratik Utekar have won India’s Best Dancer Season 5 on Sony Entertainment Television. The winners were announced at a star-studded grand finale held in Mumbai on September 27.

The pair beat four other finalist pairs – Dipali Borkar, Prathamesh Mane, Anshika Dhara and Geetanjali Marwaha – to lift the trophy. Ritesh had also won the Battle trophy three times during the season, marking him as one of its most consistent performers.

The season carried the theme ‘India Wala Dance’, pushing contestants to attempt styles outside their comfort zones. Ritesh, rooted in contemporary dance, drew praise from judges Karisma Kapoor, Jaaved Jaaferi, Geeta Kapur and Terence Lewis for his versatility.

Actors Jackie Shroff, Tamannaah Bhatia and Sidharth Malhotra joined the judges at the finale. Reacting to the win, Ritesh called it a dream come true and thanked his choreographer for believing in him, according to reports.

Why it matters: The win caps a season built on pushing dancers beyond their strengths, and gives the fifth champion a national spotlight.