Nora Fatehi: Why is there no ‘Best Performer in a Song’ category at Bollywood award shows?

Be it at award shows, music concerts, paid gigs and even in movies, dance continues to be the backbone of Bollywood. However, actor-dancer Nora Fatehi feels it still doesn’t get due appreciation.

Referring to recent award shows, she rues the absence of any categories for ‘Best Performer in a Song’ despite dance performances playing an integral part in the success of films. “Some of our icons have reached that stature icons because of their dance styles, but never awarded for their iconic dances that made Bollywood what it is today. I hope that changes one day,” she asserts.

The 31-year-old, known for Dilbar (Satyamev Jayate; 2018), O Saki Saki (Batla House; 2019), Garmi (Street Dancer; 2020), Manike (Thank God; 2022) wishes to see dance performances in movies that have become Indian pop culture references, to be celebrated more at award shows.

She explains, “Ever since Bollywood came into existence, dance has shaped the identity of the industry. It’s one of the reasons why Bollywood is popular globally. Dance is what sets Bollywood apart from other film industries. Over the decades, we have seen a variety of dance styles on the big screen, and of late, we can see more diversity in dance styles and music, which I find really cool. Let’s see that at award shows as well.”

Fatehi, who has judged several dance reality shows, hopes that there are more dance films made in India, which look beyond the dance competition narrative.

“I believe there is so much scope to make dance films in India that tell different stories and explore newer genres. They do not always have to be your typical competition dance films. There are so many stories that can be told through dance and I don’t think that space has been touched yet,” she points, adding that she would “love to do an intense emotional love story set with a backdrop of dance and drama”.

Apart from being a means to express herself artistically, Fatehi says dance has also helped her stay mentally healthy. “I recently realised that dance all these years has actually been a factor that lets me relieve my stress. My mind and body actually need dance to stay healthy and strong,” she wraps up.