# Ritesh Pal wins India’s Best Dancer Season 5, takes Rs 15 lakh

2026-09-27T19:36:43+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Raipur's Ritesh Pal has won Sony TV's India's Best Dancer Season 5, taking home the trophy and Rs 15 lakh in prize money. Anshika Dhara was the first runner-up, winning Rs 3 lakh, and Prathamesh Mane the second runner-up with Rs 2 lakh. The two-day grand finale featured judges Karisma Kapoor, Jaaved Jaaferi, Geeta Kapur, and Terence Lewis, with special appearances by Jackie Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra, and Tamannaah Bhatia. Ritesh, 22, danced with choreographer Pratik Utekar, who told Times Now Navbharat that the winner was always hungry to learn. In his acceptance, Ritesh called the win a dream come true and said his journey mattered more than the trophy. The five finalists also included Dipali Borkar and Geetanjali Marwaha.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All three outlets report the same result from the grand finale of India's Best Dancer Season 5. IndiaTV News leads with the prize breakdown, naming the first and second runners-up before the winner's quote, which is taken from Instagram. Times Now Navbharat leads with the winner's disbelief and exclusive interview, foregrounding his emotional journey and background as a salon-owner's son. Bollywood Hungama leads with the choreographer's partnership and the theme of the season, framing the win as a duo victory. None of the three contains government framing or political narrative. Winner Ritesh Pal's next step is not yet announced by any source.

## Coverage

- indiatvnews.com (neutral report) <https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/tv/ritesh-pal-wins-india-s-best-dancer-season-5-takes-home-rs-15-lakh-prize-money-and-trophy-2026-09-27-1055446>
  Leads with prize amount and runner-up details, uses Instagram quote
- timesnownews.com (sensationalist) <https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/tv/indias-best-dancer-5-winner-ritesh-pal-still-in-disbelief-about-dream-come-true-after-hoisting-trophy-exclusive-article-156237004>
  Leads with winner's disbelief and exclusive interview, focuses on personal story
- bollywoodhungama.com (neutral report) <https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/indias-best-dancer-season-5-raipurs-ritesh-pal-wins-the-trophy-with-choreographer-pratik-utekar/>
  Leads with choreographer partnership, frames win as duo victory

Tags: Geeta Kapur, India's Best Dancer, Karisma Kapoor, Ritesh Pal, Sony TV
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