Choreographers-turned-actors Dharmesh Yelande (39) and Punit Pathak (36) met as competitors on dance reality show Dance India Dance (DID) in 2009, and nobody would have thought back then that the two would end up becoming closest of friends. “It’s been 13 years since we became friends. We had so much fun together during those four months of DID. Our dance styles were different, but we still clicked,” says Dharmesh, talking to us exclusively on International Friendship Day.
Punit fondly reminisces the time when he first heard about Dharmesh, even before they had met on the show. “During DID auditions, I kept hearing people talk about him. They asked me, ‘You don’t know Dharmesh?’ and then told me all about him,” shares Punit, as Dharmesh chimes in and chuckles, “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? I’m hearing this today!”
Interestingly, the two were not even in same team on the show, yet somehow clicked are now inseparable pals. “I wanted to be in Terrence sir’s (choreographer Terrance Lewis) team, while Dharmesh wanted to join Remo sir’s (choreographer Remo D’Souza) team. We had a friendly competition. We started bonding when we started living together at a bungalow, where all the contestants used to gather,” Punit recounts, mentioning that their rooms being next to each other helped them come close and know each other better.
While they were both vying to win the show, Dharmesh shares they used to watch each other’s performances closely. “I remember telling my group, ‘We don’t stand a chance against them.’ Punit’s warm-up and Shakti Mohan’s dance moves were amazing. But eventually, we became close and started sharing everything,” says Dharmesh, adding that their friendship grew so strong that they could confidently perform each other’s acts. “Despite being told to keep our individual performances secret until the stage reveal, we would share our act ideas fearlessly with each other,” reveals Dharmesh.
{{/usCountry}}While they were both vying to win the show, Dharmesh shares they used to watch each other’s performances closely. “I remember telling my group, ‘We don’t stand a chance against them.’ Punit’s warm-up and Shakti Mohan’s dance moves were amazing. But eventually, we became close and started sharing everything,” says Dharmesh, adding that their friendship grew so strong that they could confidently perform each other’s acts. “Despite being told to keep our individual performances secret until the stage reveal, we would share our act ideas fearlessly with each other,” reveals Dharmesh.
{{/usCountry}}The two went on to collaborate on number of projects after the show got over including films ABCD (2013), ABCD 2 (2015), Nawabzaade (2018) and Street Dancer (2019). “People started saying that we should perform together as our chemistry on stage was palpable,” quips Punit.
Beyond dance, they discovered many commonalities, which acts as a plus point in any friendship. “During DID days, my mum would send me food as I live in Mumbai only, and Dharmesh used to love that ghar ka khana. Yeh bolta tha, ‘Arrey maa kya banaya hai, aur lekar aao.’ We even celebrated our birthdays together on many occasions, as my birthday is November 1 and his is on October 31,” Punit tells us.
Glad that their journeys, both professionally and personally, have remained aligned, Dharmesh shares, “Mutual respect and understanding are crucial in any friendship, and we share our thoughts honestly with each other.” Adding in agreement, Punit says, “We are transparent with each other. We listen to each other’s suggestions whether it’s work-related or personal life.”
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