Anil Kapoor has never danced to a Qawwali on screen before. That changes with Baat Khatki Toh Jeet Pakki, the opening number of his new Star Plus show, India Ke Top 1% – The Anil Kapoor Show. The man who built the routine around him is choreographer Ganesh Acharya, and the two are working together for the first time despite decades in the same industry.

Acharya both directed and choreographed the track, and he says the pairing had been on his list for a while.

"I had wanted to work with Anil sir for a long time, and I'm glad Star Plus brought us together for India Ke Top 1%," he said.

The song has been picking up traction online, and Acharya sounds pleased that a genre-rooted number is finding an audience beyond the usual crowd. "It is wonderful to see the song receiving so much love and going viral. Baat Khatki Toh Jeet Pakki is culturally rooted and has a hook that stays with you," he said.

According to Acharya, the picture came together fast once he heard the track. "The moment I heard it, I could visualise the energy and celebration we could create on screen," he explained.

Since this marked Kapoor's first attempt at the format, Acharya built the steps around what audiences already expect from him rather than trying to reinvent the actor entirely. "Since this was his first Qawwali performance, we created something that complemented his jhakaas style," he said.

He also credited Kapoor's presence on set for lifting the sequence past what was planned on paper. "His infectious energy elevated our vision and turned the song into a celebration," Acharya said.

The show marks something of a shift for Kapoor as well. He's hosting this time, not headlining a film, and the Qawwali gives viewers their first look at him in a musical mode before the actual format of the show gets going.

India Ke Top 1% – The Anil Kapoor Show is set to begin on September 19 at 8 PM, airing on Star Plus with a simultaneous run on JioHotstar. Whether the Qawwali opener sets the tone for the rest of the season, or turns out to be a one-off flourish before the real business of the show takes over, is something viewers will find out inside the week.