Mumbai: Shaking a leg between Churchgate and Mira Road during peak hours

Bharat Ragathi shows his moves in a local train. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Written by Anushka Jain

B-BOYING ENTHUSIAST Bharat Ragathi, like a thousand others, has been braving the local train crowd. In the suburban trains bursting at the seams, however, the young dancer feels, cheer is the only thing one can spread.
“When I was five, I would randomly pick spots to dance. I don’t expect money in return but take care to not hurt anyone,” said Ragathi while performing at Goregaon station sans music.

The 21-year old has worked as a dancer with American songwriter Jason Derulo as well as actors Hrithik Roshan and Sunny Leone in their promotional shows in Dubai. He has also acted in a TV show Dil Dosti Dance and played a dancer in web series, Tamanna.

The wrath of local train traveler missing out on a seat is all too familiar for those taking the train daily. As a young boy, Ragathi found commuters charging at a train coach and scrambling for a seat, trampling everything in their way, frightening.

“People aboard a local train never seemed happy. They would shout at people to make space. As a young boy that would scare me,” said Ragathi. Over time, however, he grew used to the crowd. “I had to travel frequently by trains to work, college or for anything else. Even now, I have to travel twice or thrice in a week. I usually travel by the western line, between Mira Road and Churchgate.”

Putting on a show for train travellers may be unthinkable during peak hours. However, whenever he finds a little space to show off his moves, Ragathi gets a fellow traveler or two to get up and shake a leg with him.

A resident of Mira Road, Ragathi said he learnt dancing from his elder brother Sagar, who now works as an architect in Dubai. Sagar had to discontinue dancing after an ankle injury. “My brother believes in spreading joy through dancing. Once he asked me to perform for construction labourers under the hot sun and I did not refuse. Since then, there has been no looking back,” he said.

For the past two years, Ragathi has danced in general compartments of trains, railway platforms, crowded bus stops and near police stations. He usually puts on headphones to listen to songs and dance, or even manages without it. “I have uploaded more than 100 videos of me (on YouTube) dancing. My act lasts for a minute or two but I prefer not to perform stunts because I don’t want people to believe that this is for publicity. I take care to ensure no one is hurt when I dance.”

Some of his audiences offer him money, others applaud but once in a while, he is chided. “Once I wanted to perform in a bus, but when I asked the conductor, he screamed at me thinking I was a miscreant. I also wanted to perform for the traffic police but they asked me to go away thinking it would distract them.”

Social media, too, has been unkind at times with some accusing Ragathi of creating nuisance in public places.
Akash Mohite, a commuter, said: “I really like people like Bharat who don’t care about what people think… they just enjoy the moment. His talent should really be appreciated.”

“Dancing helps me relax. I want to continue doing this till my act reaches the maximum number of people. I like it better when they join me,” said Ragathi.