Posts tagged saroj khan

How the Guide songs helped the film find a distributor

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2 days ago
by Fenil Seta in

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 20, 2013)

 

Forty-eight years later, Dev Anand’s ‘crazy dream’ remains unforgettable for its songs: Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai, Din dhal jaaye, Gaata rahe mera dil and Piya toh se naina laage re. And it was Piya toh se naina laage re that found Guide a buyer.

After the debacle of the English version, directed by Tad Danielewski, there were no takers for the Hindi version of Guide. A couple of distributors gave it a thumbs-down and director Vijay Anand aka Goldie refused to screen it. The film remained in the cans till producer Yash Johar, who was with the Navketan banner at the time, persuaded a Delhi distributor to watch two songs.

According to Dev, as soon as Piya toh se… ended, this distributor told Johar he was buying the film, which then premiered at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir in 1965. It received a lukewarm response from the film fraternity but enjoyed a 10-week run at the theatre. When drought hit Gujarat, posters of ‘Guide praying for rains’ mushroomed all over the state and the movie completed its silver jubilee in Ahmedabad. Dev was determined to risk his career as a hero for the part of Raju Guide, who lures the young and beautiful wife of an ageing archaeologist with the promise of fame, landing in prison for fraud instead and finally finding salvation, masquerading as a sadhu.

But it was the songs that landed Waheeda Rehman the role of Rosie in the movie. Danielewski had decided to cast Leela Naidu, who’d been paired More >

Nargis Fakhri dances to Saroj Khan’s tune

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4 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 31, 2012)

 

Known for her intricate choreography, even Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit have had a tough time dancing to her tunes. So it came as a surprise to know Saroj Khan managed to get Nargis Fakhri, all dolled up in Bengali finery, dance a la Madhuri Dixit in the song Dola re Dola from Devdas.

Saroj was specially flown to Hyderabad on Friday to shoot an advertisement directed by Mani Shankar. It was after some trepidation that Nargis, who barely looks Indian in the first place, carried off both the Bengali look and Saroj’s dance movements beautifully.

An eyewitness from the sets told Mirror, “Sarojji had flown in with six dancers, who are all first-rate at their work. Nargis had to match steps with the expert chorus dancers. The Bengali sari, jewellery, and big bindi on her forehead didn’t make it any easier. She had never dressed up this way. Add to that, she had to dance like Madhuri Dixit in the track Dola re dola in Devdas. The girl was in tears initially but bravely delivered.”

Said Saroj, “We had to shoot some intricate steps. Nargis had to do some dance movements like a fish gliding in the water. She managed beautifully. She’s a hardworking girl.”

Given that Saroj never compromises on her steps, it is to the Rockstar actress’ credit that she managed the show despite the initial uncertainty and impatience on location.

Saroj Khan livid at Vishal Bhardwaj for scrapping her work

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4 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

A bitter Saroj Khan reacts to her choreography being scrapped in Bhardwaj’s next, alleges she was kept in the dark about it

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 29, 2012)

 

Could it be that the talented Vishal Bhardwaj mistimed his step with this dance number? The rambunctious Oye Boy Charlie song picturised on Anushka Sharma, Imran Khan and Pankaj Kapur in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola has left a bitter taste in someone’s mouth – Saroj Khan.

Apparently, it was the first time in her career spanning 26 years that the veteran choreographer was replaced, her work scrapped after the entire song was shot, and she was not informed about it. And it was only after she caught a glimpse of the song from Matru Ki Bijlee… on TV that she realised that it was not the one she had created. Even though, she says, she received her remuneration for it.

It panned out this way. Vishal had invited Saroj to choreograph the song. However, after it was shot, the filmmaker realised it was not what he wanted. “Saroj ji had choreographed Oye Charlie very beautifully. However, when we saw the song, we felt it did not go with the tone of the film. With very little time on hand, I just shot the song like I do a scene,” said Vishal. But it was only after the new cut went live on TV, Vishal sent an apologetic letter to Khan, explaining why her version was scrapped summarily. Admits the National-award winning choreographer: “It was a very nicely worded letter. He said he wanted lot of ‘janglipana’ in More >

Ameesha to sizzle to Madhuri’s Ek Do Teen

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8 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Parag Maniar (BOMBAY TIMES; August 29, 2012)

 

Ameesha Patel is all set to sway to the iconic track Ek Do Teen from Tezaab (1988) in her home banner Ameesha Patel Productions’ Desi Magic. The actress will use the superhit song that had Madhuri Dixit gyrating to it originally.

A source said, “Desi Magic has Ameesha in a double role — one a rich bitch and the other a Punjabi lass. The latter will dance to Ek Do Teen.… The music is being worked upon.” The song will be recreated with the present-day audience in mind, the source said, adding, “Music director Lalit Pandit will recreate the song. New sound elements will be added, while retaining the basic tune. Once the song is done, she plans to approach Saroj Khan to choreograph it. The team felt that it could be none other than Khan as she had choreographed the original track. Ameesha’s partner Kuunal Goomer has been working on the script since a year and the film is expected to go on the floors in October.”

Ameesha, a self-proclaimed Madhuri Dixit fan, who grew up listening to Ek Do Teen, says, “It’s still fresh in my memory. In fact I have performed to that song during my school and college days. Ek Do,Teen has that innocent sensuality and sexiness to it… a true Bollywood number.” Saying that the song will be shot uniquely, the actress says, “We will raise the bar and make it absolutely trendy and shoot it on a lavish scale. Saroj Khan will be roped in for that.”

Madhuri Dixit speaks on her first hit-Tezaab

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9 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

MUMBAI MIRROR (August 17, 2012)

 

When you do a film, you cannot predict its fate at the box office. You just try and give it your best shot. That’s what exactly happened with Tezaab. I feel the film became a blockbuster because if its intensity, the chemistry between Munna and Mohini and the Ek Do Teen song. The film was a big milestone of my career. So was the song.

When director N Chandra approached me with the role, I was thrilled. It was altogether a different ballgame for me. I had never done anything like this before. I was playing a pop singer whose family is using her. Mohini’s relationship with her father was rather unusual. It was very unlike me. There was a lot of anguish, a lot of hysteria and over the top scenes. Till then, I had been playing ‘sweet’ girl roles. Tezaab was intense and difficult.

An interesting incident comes to my mind. I was supposed to cry in a scene with Anil Kapoor since people were against our relationship. I tried hard, but couldn’t get it right. Then Anil told me to imagine my sister going away. I did that. And voila! I cried. So technically, in the scene I am not crying for Anil like I am supposed to but for my sister.

However, I never could have imagined that the Ek Do Teen number will become one of my most popular songs. I remember having rehearsed for it for 16 days with Sarojji (Saroj Khan, the choreographer). The shoot went on for almost seven days. On the last day, we shot for the entire day and night. It was quite More >

Madhuri Dixit-Saroj Khan to set a new benchmark

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9 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; August 11, 2012)

 

If Madhuri Dixit is doing a movie, it is impossible to imagine it without a dance number. The versatile actress, whose performances are incomplete without her trademark latkas and jhatkas, will be setting a new benchmark in her next film, Gulab Gang, the songs of which will be choreographed by Saroj Khan. Interestingly, the veteran choreographer and the nimble-footed actress will be teaming up after a decade, since Devdas, their last outing together.

Incidentally, Khan’s name was suggested by producer Anubhav Sinha, who had assisted Pankaj Parashar on the film Rajkumar, for which the actress and the choreographer worked together. “I remember Sarojji showing the steps to Madhuri, who would perform them with such ease and grace as if she had done them before,” recalls Sinha. Predictably, director Soumik Sen too felt Sinha was right in choosing Khan. He enthuses that although Madhuri might be looking simpler as the story is set in rural India, they’re “planning to do something spectacular in terms of the choreography”. Sen adds, “Every Madhuri dance number has always set a new benchmark, that’s our intention too.” Needless to say, Madhuri’s excited about working with Khan after such a long time. As Sen says, “Madhuri feels that Sarojji is immaculate with details and ensures that the facial expressions are in perfect sync with the mood of the song and the character.”

Choreographer hoke bhi unfit?

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11 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

If choreography is all about dancing, why are most hotsteppers so “healthy”?

Saloni Bhatia (BOMBAY TIMES; June 9, 2012)

 

Fitness experts swear by dance as a great exercise. But despite being dance professionals, some top choreographers like Saroj Khan, Farah Khan, Ahmed Khan, Ganesh Acharya, Geeta Kapoor and Vaibhavi Merchant are on the heavier side. We ask some choreographers what makes it difficult for them to stay fit, and whether that interferes with their work.

WHY CHOREOGRAPHERS PILE ON Blame their erratic schedules or the oily food served on sets, choreographers say it isn’t always easy to stay in shape. Also, industry insiders say that the job of a choreographer is akin to that of a dance director. “Foreign choreographers are only concerned about dancing. But Indian choreographers have to look into things like camera angles, costumes, etc. Our choreographers are very good dancers but amid all this, they get lazy about workouts,” says Caesar of choreographer duo Bosco-Caesar, adding that he has put on 5 kgs in the last five years because he’s become casual with his workout. Like a sportsperson, a choreographer’s body is also affected by injuries, says Geeta Kapoor (right). “Earlier, I was slim, but later, I put on weight. I have a major slip disc problem. Genetically also, my mother is on the heavier side. I had kept my weight under control, but after an accident during the first season of Dance India Dance, where I injured my spine and elbow, I was told not to More >

Producer accuses Saroj Khan of unprofessionalism

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1 year ago
by Fenil Seta in

A first time filmmaker claims the veteran choreographer is giving him hard time on sets of upcoming film

By Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; May 17, 2012)

 

A new producer is claiming to be at the receiving end of some hard time after signing on Saroj Khan to choreograph three songs for her maiden venture Kaash Tum Hote. According to Manju Bharti, the maker of a forthcoming film featuring Preeti Jhanghaini and Mukesh Bharti, Khan choreographed only one of the three songs and refused to return the remaining amount.

Manju tells HitList that they contracted Khan to choreograph three songs for a fee of Rs 4 lakh. “We paid Rs 1 lakh as the signing amount and the remaining in two cheques, of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh on her arrival on location in Srinagar,” she recalls, adding that after two days, Khan wanted to return to Mumbai for a dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa that features Madhuri Dixit.

Getting choosy? The producer states that while they requested the veteran choreographer to fulfill her commitment, the latter insisted that Dixit’s show was more important. “The director Israr Ahmed too tried reasoning with Sarojji and requested her to consider our predicament, lest we suffer losses. It was according to her dates that we had booked the locations, travel and accommodation of the cast and crew. But she said that wasn’t her concern and her assistant would choreograph the remaining songs,” says Manju.

Family matters She further adds that Khan also insisted on booking a few extra More >

Deepika shoots classical number for Rajinikanth’s next

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1 year ago
by Fenil Seta in

V Lakshmi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 5, 2012)

 

Almost five years ago, Deepika Padukone shot her first classical number, albeit just for the opening beats in the Dhoom Tanna… number in her Bollywood debut Om Shanti Om. And now, we hear that the actress shot for a full-fledged classical song in her Kollywood debut, Kochadaiyaan.

A source reveals, “Though Deepika wasn’t part of the London schedule of the film, she joined the unit in Kerala a couple of weeks ago. It was there that she, along with Rajinikanth, shot for a traditional dance, set to classical beats. Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan has conceptualised this number, which has been composed by A R Rahman. The entire team had been rehearsing for over three days for this, and the song was shot over two days. Deepika is trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathak, and she didn’t have much trouble getting the steps right for this dream sequence song.”

While reluctant to reveal details on the number, Saroj says, “It’s after a long time that I’m part of a Tamil film, and I’m glad it happens to be a Rajinikanth one. The number is picturised on Deepika and Rajini, and both have put their heart and soul into this number. The classical sequence has come out very well, and will be much talked about.”

Naseer to do dance number in Dirty Picture

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2 years ago
by Fenil Seta in

Naseeruddin Shah is gearing up for a full-fledged dance number with the Vidya ‘Silk Smitha’ Balan in Dirty Picture

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 27, 2011)

 

The last time he came close to dancing was in Ishqiya last year. And the only time Naseeruddin Shah really shimmied to none other than Saroj Khan’s moves was 22 years back in the superhit song Tirchi Topiwale from Tridev.

However, according to director Milan Luthria, “It’s ‘Oye Oye’ time for the Shah Of Actors again.”

Shah who plays an aging actor in the film, will have to perform a full-fledged dance number for Luthria’s Dirty Picture.

The project, which already has had Vidya Balan who plays Silk Smitha, feel a little out of her element with the kind of costumes and the required weight gain, has now demanded that Shah do what he has never been comfortable doing.

In fact, the last time Shah really danced in Tridev, the media quoted him saying, “I am not really suitable for the role”.

However, since filmmaker Luthria and producer Ekta Kapoor is adamant on Shah shaking a leg, he being the perfectionist actor he is, has demanded practice sessions for the same before the film goes on the floors.

A source informed us, “Naseer saab is rehearsing for his dance in Dity Picture every day at Milan’s office. He comes for the rehearsal every day at 8.30 am.”

“Naseer saab practices about two hours everyday. His wife Ratna comes along to boost him up a bit. And don’t forget that Vidya is playing Silk More >

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