Who formed V. Unbeatable? 'AGT: Fantasy League' dance troupe from Mumbai slums soar high to make late co-founder proud
MUMBAI, INDIA: When V. Unbeatable first appeared on 'America's Got Talent' in 2019, they tugged at the Judges' sympathies by expressing their "challenging" living circumstances in Mumbai's overcrowded slums. Fans were moved to tears when they realized that the V in the name stood for Vikas, after the group’s co-founder, Vikas Gupta, who died while executing acrobatics during a rehearsal.
‘America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League’ team, V. Unbeatable is a Mumbai-based dance crew. Vikas and Om Prakash founded the squad in 2012.
It was dubbed "Simply Unbeatable." The Mumbai slum acrobats changed their name to V. Unbeatable for a reason.
Vikas was hurt while doing a stunt during practice in 2014. He was paralyzed from the neck down and died a few weeks later.
The team's name has been altered in his honor. During performances, the squad also wears Vikas's name on the back of their T-shirts.
Vikas' death emphasizes how perilous the group's performances are, since they soar through the air with no nets or mats under them. The dancers were from Mumbai's slums and poor neighborhoods.
What kind of act is 'AGT: Fantasy League's V. Unbeatable?
The Mumbai-based troop of 28 dancers stunned the judges with their 'AGT' Season 14 audition. Members ranging in age from 12 to 27 were tossed into the air and performed balancing acrobatics and a perfectly timed performance to cheerful percussion and cultural music.
At the time, the dancers in Mumbai lacked clean water and electricity, with up to ten individuals living in cramped one-room apartments. V. Unbeatable advanced to the 'AGT' Season 14 quarterfinals, where they were defeated by Kodi Lee.
They returned to the 'AGT' stage in 2020 for Season 2 of 'America's Got Talent: The Champions,' detailing how the show's notoriety led to recognition in India and a live performance in Las Vegas.
They also revealed that an Indian film based on their adventure is in the works. Furthermore, they rose through the rankings to take first place, eventually defeating trapeze artists Duo Transcend and living up to their name.
How many Golden Buzzers did 'AGT: Fantasy League's V. Unbeatable win?
V.Unbeatable is Season 14's highest-placing act, receiving the Golden Buzzer in the Judge Cuts. They are also Season 14's highest-placed foreign act.
They are the second act, after Angelica Hale, to win the Golden Buzzer in two separate 'AGT' seasons. Light Balance Kids then came after them.
All three performers got their first award from a guest judge, and their second from Howie Mandel.
V.Unbeatable is the first Golden Buzzer act to win Champions and the sixth overall (counting the Champions). In every episode of both seasons, the group got standing ovations from all the judges (including guest judges).
When taking into account both the main series and the spin-offs, Mayyas, who won Season 17, and V.Unbeatable are tied for the highest-placing group act.
Where is 'AGT: Fantasy League's V. Unbeatable now?
According to NPR, V. Unbeatable's win after returning to India was repressed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing them to cancel their forthcoming worldwide gigs. During the lockdown, the dancers were forced to return to their prior way of life, with some even selling vegetables on the side of the road to make ends meet.
Omprakash Chauhan, one of the group's co-founders, claimed he sobbed because his evenings were "so sleepless." "I’m scared that all our hard work will go down the drain," the dancer expressed concern.
According to choreographer Swapnil Bhoir, "what was supposed to be the best times of our lives became the toughest." According to NPR, several members recorded short dancing films to relieve stress.
"You may win or achieve something great, but that doesn't mean your life is set," Swapnil remarked in an interview in September 2020. "Sometimes you have to start from zero again, and we're prepared to do that."
Fortunately, the members of the group were already well-versed in persistence.
V. Unbeatable was able to regain its footing once the lockdown conditions were lifted. According to The Khaleej Times, the group has expanded to 45 members since early 2023 and made a spectacular comeback with their first international performances in Dubai's Global Village, a popular venue showcasing talent from more than 90 nations.
"Everything that we had worked towards was finally bearing fruit," V. Unbeatable's creative director, Maahesh More, said of their 'AGT' triumph. "It gave us recognition and validated us in the eyes of a lot of detractors."
Vaibhav Gupta, manager of the V. Unbeatable squad, said they were "over the moon" when they were invited to Dubai.
"To be able to perform at a stage like Global Village in front of thousands every day, I feel like this was the break we needed after the lull of Covid," Vibhav said in January 2023 to The Khaleej Times.
According to their Facebook and Instagram profiles, V. Unbeatable is always busy. The ensemble recently performed at a local amusement park and conference to commemorate India's Independence Day.
Season 28 at the Global Village concluded in April, however, the Global Village website noted that during the most recent 2023 season, "audiences were treated to some high-energy, sometimes jaw-dropping routines that had everyone spellbound."
V. Unbeatable becomes Howie Mandel's first pick for 'AGT: Fantasy League' draft
As previously reported, the new edition of 'AGT: Fantasy League' features not only the performances but also judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie, and Mel B, who act as mentors for their hand-picked teams.
The judges will choose a squad of their favorite performers from Got Talent franchisees throughout the world, much like a fantasy sports draft. Then, they guide the acts throughout the competition in the hopes of having one of their team's acts declared 'AGT: Fantasy League' champion—and it turns out that the judges may be fiercer rivals than their team members to gain bragging rights.
Mel B., Simon, Heidi, and Howie will each have a roster of ten acts chosen from the Top 40 contenders released in November. V. Unbeatable was the first act, following which Howie went on to choose and mentor as part of his Dream Team.
In the end, the winning Act will get a $250,000 big prize, while the winning mentor will be crowned the first-ever 'AGT: Fantasy League' winner. Howie chose a Golden Buzzer favorite to ensure he wins the championship this season.
Beginning January 1, 2024, two-hour episodes of ‘America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League’ will air every Monday at 8/7c on NBC and NBC.com. New episodes will be available to watch on Peacock the following day.