UoB’s Bhangra society appeared in a new BBC One documentary covering the ‘Bhangra Showdown’ competition

The filming lasted over three months


UoB’s Bhangra society featured in a new BBC One documentary showcasing Bhangra dancing and the training that goes into the Bhangra Showdown. The documentary titled ‘Our Lives: Bhangra or Bust’  was broadcasted on Wednesday on BBC One and is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Rajveer Ahitan President of UoB’s Bhangra society told The Birmingham Tab the filming for the BBC show lasted over three months.

The BBC filmed the training sessions for The Bhangra Showdown at UoB including The Debating School and Arthur Thomson Hall in the Medical School building.

Rajveer Ahitan, the President of UoB’s Bhangra society is involved with managing the society that was established back in 2009. “UoB Bhangra Society is based around a form of dance known as Bhangra dancing, which originates from Punjab, a region in the north of India. During term time we hold weekly classes on campus and hold regular socials,” he told The Birmingham Tab.

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The society also enters competitions for its dancing, including The Bhangra Showdown. “We have a competitive team where we compete at a competition called ‘The Bhangra Showdown’, which is where BBC filmed our process training for this competition,” he said.

“It is now the UK’s largest student run competition (organised by Imperial College’s Punjabi Society) and the biggest Bhangra dance competition in the world. It welcomes an audience of nearly 4000 people in locations including the Arena Birmingham,” he continued.

The show came about when someone from the BBC approached the society. “A member of the society spoke to her and she expressed interest in creating a documentary to showcase the process of bhangra dancers as we train for this specific competition,” Rajveer said.

 

The TV show is part of a wider series known as ‘Our Lives’, which is aimed at celebrating and showcasing the diversity of the society and showcase Bhangra. “We were filmed for three months alongside a competing team. It was an amazing experience and a great way of documenting it.  The programme is available to watch on BBC iPlayer,”  Rajveer said.