Mumbai-based MJ5 is dancing to its own tune with new song 'Bawaal'

With a new music video, the group — known for animated locking and popping moves — is singing its way to ‘boy band’ fame and hopes to be India’s answer to BTS

They wowed many with their perfect moonwalks. Now, they aim to impress with both dance and song through a music video titled ‘Bawaal’. The Mumbai-based dance group MJ5 – comprising R Kartik, Himanshu Gola, Rohit Singh, Vishnu Kumar and Dennis Anthony – first came together in 2013. Their animated popping and locking moves helped them win fans and the top prize on a TV competition ‘India’s Dancing Superstar’. Nearly seven years later, the group released its maiden music track, taking inspiration from the Kings of K-Pop this time. 

Their dream now is to be India’s answer to BTS. For the uninitiated, BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean pop band whose chart-topping exploits have made MJ5 want to be more than just a dance group. Kartik says, “With dance we were restricted by the technicalities of the song we were performing to, but when we are producing our own music we can enjoy the creative freedom to experiment and put on an unrestricted showcase that truly reflects our performance style.”

The impulse first hit the group during lockdown when they realised the country “lacks a strong boy and girl band culture”. They sought out videos of other well-known bands too, such as Boyzone and Backstreet Boys. “We thought maybe we could usher in a revolution of sorts in this part of the world and give an impetus to the boy band culture,” says Kartik. Such bands had risen to fame in India in the early 2000s when Viva (India's first all-girl band) and A Band of Boys emerged but no major acts have followed since.

‘Bawaal' features the five members grooving in picturesque Maldives, to vocals by Kartik, Rohit and Dennis. Music for the song, which Kartik describes as one of “hope and cheer”, is composed by Dixant Shaurya, who also wrote the lyrics with Nitish R Kumar. Describing the intent of the video, Kartik explains, “The feel is breezy and all about embracing the art of going with the flow. We picked a resort as the shoot venue for the same reason.” He adds, “We wanted a fuss-free, relaxed time on set to celebrate the launch of our dream and this is something that is reflected in the video.” The video has been viewed more than 9 million times since its release on March 12. 

The group is currently working towards improving their vocal skills and  experimenting with a new style of dance. Talking about future plans, Kartik says, “It’s phenomenal how international boy bands host arena concerts and have a crazy global following. We want to reach that stage and put India on the world map. We are already in talks with global management agencies as well as other international artists for collaborations to spread the word far and wide.” 

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