National Geographic Dives Into the Colorful World of Competitive Bollywood Fusion Dance with Unscripted Series “Legends” (w.t.)

National Geographic announced today the greenlight of LEGENDS (working title), an electrifying new competition series that follows the high-stakes world of competitive collegiate Bollywood fusion dance. Filled with rivalry, friendships, and upsets, LEGENDS (working title) focuses on two Bollywood fusion dance teams who struggle to balance rigorous academic workloads and parental expectations with their intense drive to win the crown at Legends. The series is produced by Meralta Films, Amplify Pictures and 30WEST.

From Academy Award- and three-time Emmy Award®-nominated director Smriti Mundhra (“St. Louis Superman,” “Indian Matchmaking“) and Emmy®, Tony®, Peabody and Golden Globe® Award-winning producer Joe Lewis (“100 Foot Wave,” “Fleabag”), the six-part series delves into the cultural phenomenon that has swept universities across the United States.

For many Bollywood fusion dancers, the genre has proved an opportunity to express, create, and perform on major stages while fostering community with their fellow first- and second-generation South Asian students. Capturing the grueling, ten-hour practice days and the personal sacrifices each dancer has to make, LEGENDS (working title) focuses on the stories of two key squads in pursuit of the national title.

A mashup of hip-hop, contemporary, and pop with traditional Indian dance styles like bhangra, raas, kathak, and bharatnatyam, Bollywood fusion celebrates the convergence and beauty that emerges when two cultures meet. Every major university in the U.S. has a Bollywood fusion dance team, but only the top 10 teams in the country convene each April to compete in the Legends National Championship.

“This series is my ode to young adulthood, a universal coming-of-age story told uniquely through the South Asian lens,” said Mundhra, director and executive producer. “It is the story of first-generation college students tasting freedom and chasing a glory that could transform their lives forever. I’m so honored to have the opportunity to introduce this vibrant world to Nat Geo’s global audiences and hope it inspires others the way it has lit a fire for me.”

“Amplify Pictures is thrilled to help bring the incredible world of competitive Bollywood fusion dancing to audiences worldwide. Through the brilliant direction of Smriti Mundhra, as well as our amazing partners at Nat Geo, LEGENDS (working title) has become not just a compelling drama about dance but a vibrant saga of youth, ambition and cultural heritage,” added Lewis, executive producer and CEO of Amplify Pictures.

“National Geographic has a long and storied history of exploring different cultures and sub-cultures all around the world,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. “In LEGENDS (working title), we’re taking a very contemporary lens to a very competitive world. But more than that, we’re exploring what it means to be a young first- or second-generation South Asian American in the 21st century. This is a timely series infused with high stakes and, of course, jaw-dropping dance”.

LEGENDS (working title) is produced by Meralta Films, Amplify Pictures and 30WEST. For Meralta Films, Smriti Mundhra, Maya Gnyp, and Nina Anand Aujla are executive producers. For Amplify Pictures, Joe Lewis, Rachel Eggebeen, and Colin King Miller are executive producers. For 30WEST, executive producers include Micah Green, Daniel Steinman, and Sarah Hong. For National Geographic, Betsy Forhan and Yari Lorenzo are executive producers, Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of Production, Charlie Parsons is senior vice president of Global Development, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.