Story by PTI | Posted by Vidushi Gaur | Date 05-08-2026
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Dance not only made Karisma Kapoor one of Hindi cinema’s most popular performers but also helped shape her as an actor by making her more expressive, says the Bollywood star.
The 51-year-old actor, who has returned as a judge on the television dance reality show “India’s Best Dancer Season 5″, made a mark in the 1990s with her energetic and expressive dance style in hit songs such as “Le Gayi”, “Sona Kitna Sona Hai”, “Main Toh Raste Se Ja Raha Tha”, and “Husn Hai Suhana”.
“As a dancer, you have to be very expressive. And only if you are very expressive, will you be considered a good dancer. Dancing is not just a robotic thing, so you have to be very expressive in any sort of dance form.
“So, it helped me in my career, especially for expressions and in songs and in acting,” she told PTI in an interview.
While dancing brought her popularity, Karisma credits films such as “Fiza” and “Zubeidaa” for proving her acting range.
“Films like ‘Fiza’, ‘Zubeidaa’, ‘Shakti’ and ‘Biwi No. 1’ also have been an integral part of my journey. It proved I could do both. They’re all pieces of my heart,” Kapoor said.
The actor said her passion for dance began in her childhood through formal training in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and later jazz.
“It was a love of dance that I used to go for the classes. I just loved acting, loved dance and anything artistic and creative,” the actor.
Karisma also credited the late legendary choreographer Saroj Khan for shaping her Bollywood dance vocabulary.
“Saroj Khan ji has been my guru. I’ve been to her dance classes and she would train me. In fact, she would train me in Bollywood dance on ‘Tamma Tamma’ of Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt. At that time, she was choreographing that song and she would tell (her team) that, ‘This is my new song, and teach her song’,” the actor recalled.
Talking about her dance face-off with Madhuri Dixit Nene in the 1997 movie “Dil Toh Pagal Hai”, Karisma said it was among the toughest song sequences of her career.
“Any actor can understand the kind of pressure I may have gone through, like I would idolise Madhuri Dixit and then doing a film with her. In the song (‘Dance of Envy’), I had to show it was a competitive dance piece.
“It was a bit difficult. It was a mixture of emotions because I was looking up to Madhuri Dixit and then I had to give her these glaring looks and perform my best,” she said.
As a judge on “India’s Best Dancer”, Karisma said she enjoys watching young talent and added that dance has evolved over the years on reality TV.
The dance show, which premiered on Sony LIV and Sony Entertainment Television in early June, is co-judged by Geeta Kapoor, Terrence Lewis, and Jaaved Jaaferi.
The actor said she evaluates contestants on basis of four E’s — entertainment, emotion, expressions and energy.
“The performance has to touch me whether we see a play or a movie or a dance or a singing show, it must touch your heart, you must feel some emotion. I’m the emotional judge and I will judge from my heart, and not only technicality,” she added.
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