Bosco Caesar Dance Company (BCDC) is back in Calcutta after a hiatus, and their new collaboration with OTT Explorer at Kankurgachi is big news for city dance enthusiasts who have been waiting to polish their skills under the supervision of one of the best choreographers of India. An established name in Bollywood, Bosco-Caesar brings three decades of experience and has been associated with big hits like Tauba tauba, Jhoome jo Pathan, Kala chashma and others. A tete-a-tete with Ceasar Gonsalvas, who dropped by to launch BCDC.
Welcome back to Calcutta, BCDC. This is not the first outing in Calcutta for BCDC. Tell me how it feels to be back with OTT Explorer.
Yeah, BCDC was launched many years back, maybe around nine or 10 years or even before that, but sadly, the partners could not maintain the franchise in terms of quality; they didn’t understand Bosco-Caesar’s value back then. We have worked very hard to make a name, and I don’t want it to be taken just as a dance class. We never opened in Mumbai because we believe that it would become a money-making racket, and I don’t want to do that. If I’m sharing my knowledge, then it is based on years of experience and hard work. I want my instructors to be there with me in sync, too. And if I can’t give time to my own school, then I don’t think it’s justified. I want my students to be inspired by the dedication I show.
Which means you have a certain level of trust in OTT Explorer?
Yeah, of course. I trust OTT Explorer completely; otherwise, I would not touch it. I would have refused them outright if I were not confident of them; I’m very straightforward that way. It’s 30 years of brand building. Bosco-Caesar was born in the early 1990s. We did around 300 music videos and started our Bollywood career later. We have received numerous awards, so it’s been a long journey. Bosco is like my wife, you can say, we have fought, divorced many times due to our differences, and then we have come back together. I thank God for blessing BCDC.
What can people expect with BCDC x OTT Explorer?
For BCDC and OTT Explorer, we have chosen James and Ira as our main instructors. Bosco-Caesar is known for its hook steps, and James and Ira have a unique style. When Bosco-Caesar steps in, everyone moves back. That’s not arrogance, that’s confidence. Whenever I open a dance studio, I take a workshop, and that is going to happen very frequently here. For people who have got moves and want to show them, they can learn the dance, especially the hook steps, directly from us and then show it off on the dance floor and become a sensation. From Senorita to Jhoome jo Pathan and Kala chasma to Mauja hi mauja, they can learn it all.
How often will we see you coming here?
Calcutta is going to see me more now, at least four-five times in a year or even more. In fact, we will be back on September 20 because we are getting an award for a song we did with Jeet.
Which means Tollywood will be dancing on your beats more?
Yeah, may be. I’ve worked with Dev earlier. Last year I worked with Jeet and then I did two songs with Rukmini Maitra. So, yeah, I’m game. And please don’t think that Bosco-Caesar is costly, we are economical, though not cheap.
With social media hooked to hook steps, and BCDC a master in this art, does it play in your head when you are choreographing a song?
Never. I make sure that I give my 500 per cent to every song. Whether it’s a hit or not, it’s up to the audience to decide; I don’t think of it making it big on social media and becoming a big sensation. I also don’t think of awards while choreographing. My task should be to make my artistes look nice, my dancers, my song should be rich and speak for itself.
Dance in Bollywood has evolved so much, with so many dance forms influencing it. Is there any new form that has caught your attention and you are taking inspiration from?
Hip-hop has been the biggest influence in my life, and it has been around for ages. Under hip-hop comes everything, in the Western style. Thanks to social media and dance reality shows that people are more aware of all the styles. And styles keep coming back, like Lindi Hop and Gene Kelly. In Western dance form, ballet is the classic, like we have Bharatnatyam and whoever masters these can do any form of dance. Hip-hop has influenced Bollywood a lot. Take my song Tauba tauba with Vicky Kaushal, it’s not Bollywood, it’s hip-hop.
What is your message for the dance enthusiasts in Calcutta?
Come join BCDC and learn from the best. I’m waiting for my first 100 students at Kankurgachi.
