Amitabh Bachchan's dance brought Saroj Khan back to Bollywood after she quit, moved abroad after marriage: ‘He said I can't dance, have two left feet'
During an interaction on the YouTube channel Tried & Refused Productions, Farhan shared he did Nach Baliye with Saroj in the early 2000s and at the time, he was scripting the new version of Don, starring Shah Rukh Khan. Farhan recalled Saroj talking to him about his project and sharing her personal memory of the film. He said, 'Saroj ji told me, 'I got married and went to Middle East. I had left choreography.' She used to be a background dancer, then she became a choreographer and then she got married and she moved. She left India to stay in the Middle East and she was living there.'
Farhan continued, 'Saroj ji told me, 'This film Don released in 1978 and I saw the song Khaike Paan Banaras Wala and I realised, this man, he is having such a great time dancing on this song. And I knew him, he always used to say I don't know how to dance. I have two left feet.' Don was actually the first film in which Amitabh Bachchan danced. All his previous films Zanjeer, Deewar, Trishul were him playing angry young man. She said, 'I saw that I became so happy. The joy of dancing and choreography came up in me again. So I decided to come back and started choreographing in Hindi films again.''
Farhan recalled that he initially struggled to bring the iconic song into his remake but eventually managed to do so. The director then asked Saroj Khan to choreograph the song in his film. 'For her, it was a life coming full circle moment and I think she did an outstanding job and Shah Rukh just let go and he had a blast,' he said.
Saroj Khan passed away in July 2020 at 71.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
34 minutes ago
- First Post
Prajakta Koli and Surveen Chawla's 'Andhera' web-series review: It's more than just a horror show
Credit must be given to the makers to put together all their ideas and mix it into one show. Even when it overstays its welcome and is marred by inconsistent vein, Andhera ultimately feels like a tolerable attempt Cast: Priya Bapat, Karanvir Malhotra, Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla, Vatsal Sheth, Parvin Dabas, Pranay Pachauri Director: Raaghav Dar Language: Hindi Prime Video's Andhera begins with a couple's homily conversation on a CGI-coded beach that soon morphs into the show's first jump scare. We get another one before the opening credits begin to roll, and by the time we reach the third episode, the total goes up to 786 with little exaggeration. It's hard to describe what the show is aiming for since the makers bite more than they can chew. It has multiple pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that creator Gaurav Desai and director Raaghav Dar try to intertwine with hit and miss results. But they do try to legitimize the moniker by keeping things in the dark, both for the characters and the viewers. And there are endless conversations about how they feel darkness around them. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A bruised Priya Bapat who's investigating the case of a missing girl has visions about her traumatic past that leads her to the omnipresent Surveen Chawla. An encounter supposedly for healing exposes her sexual identity. The social subtext is handled with care and restrain. The other piece of this puzzle is Karanvir Malhotra, who's battling depression and PTSD. He's terrorized by an evil spirit whose screeches bring back memories of Vikram Bhatt's endless 1920 franchises. There's Prajakta Koli, (almost) playing herself, called Rumi. Given the noir splashed on us, this name suggests she could be the only character to lighten up the scene. The idea to keep the frames gloomy is unquestionably intentional. They are mostly bathed in blue, and all the spots are soulless set-pieces, be it a children's healthcare or a police station or a content creator's workplace. People in Andhera don't use electricity purely to make sure they are able to justify the name of the series. Unlike Prime Video's Khauff, which was more brutal and visceral in its telling, this one aims for a Bollywoodized treatment that adds jump scares more for effect than impact. And given the changing and evolving landscape of horror, especially with Together and Weapons recently, Andhera, despite the heightened ambitions, gets dwarfed in the crowd only because of its inability to decide what tone to adapt to. That's not to say it's a sore thumb. The idea to create a concoction and cocktail of mental health, sexual identities, supernatural, and horror is as ambitious on paper as it's on screen. The creepy yet crackling visuals accompanied by a daunting background music, especially towards the end of episode three, give the show the mood it needed and deserved. What takes away the essence of the narrative is the ill-timed humour. A scene where Rumi and Jay invite the evil spirit is so Jaani Dushman-esque that you yearn for Raj Babbar's hysterical expressions while calling Manisha Koirala's Divya with all his eroticism. The long-lost Kavin Dave makes an appearance that feels straight out of I Hate Luv Storys. There are some glaring cliches too. Two male police officers deride a female cop for what else but her gender. She has a cringe cohort that cracks lunatic jokes. But the real issue here is the big reveal! Why he did what he did! It could be acquired taste. It's not your usual revenge saga. It has to do something with human consciousness and immortality. After ticking the boxes of horror, comedy, whodunnit, Andhera makes an endeavour to veer into the space of sci-fi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Credit must be given to the makers to put together all their ideas and mix it into one show. Even when it overstays its welcome and is marred by inconsistent vein, Andhera ultimately feels like a tolerable attempt. But do you know how it feels when you feel a film or a show that could have been so much more ends up being middling? DARK! Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars) Andhera is now streaming on Prime Video
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sreeleela sets sights on pan-India stardom
Sreeleela is on a roll. Having made a name for herself in South Indian cinema, she is now eyeing pan-India stardom. The actress began her career with the Kannada film Kiss. She then went on to star in hits like By Two Love (Kannada), and Dhamaka, Guntur Kaaram, and the National Award-winning Bhagavanth Kesari (Telugu). Now, she has another Telugu film in the pipeline; she's also stepping into Tamil and Hindi cinema, with projects that include a Bollywood film alongside Kartik Aaryan and her Tamil debut, Parasakthi, opposite Sivakarthikeyan. These roles represent exciting new chapters for the actress, especially the latter, where she says audiences will 'get to see a new side of me.' Excerpts: 'AS AN ARTISTE, I LIKE CHANGING GEARS; IT KEEPS ME ON MY TOES' Reflecting on the nuances of working across different film industries, Sreeleela says, 'Every language has its own streak, its own flair. What matters most is understanding what the film demands and what the audience expects. Commercial cinema has its own frequency; Hindi cinema is obviously very different from what I've done. But I like changing gears like that. It keeps me on my toes.' 'ACTING TO ME, IS LIVING THE CHARACTER' She emphasises the importance of authenticity in her acting, and says, 'I feel like the moment we start acting instead of living the character, it's not authentic anymore. Especially in Hindi cinema, the scripts I've heard are a little more real, a little more my age, very close to my character. In the past, I've played many characters that weren't completely like me — I tapped into different roles. But these last couple of films feel like me, like a plain me, like how I would really react. I'm excited to bring my authentic self to every screen no matter what language.' 'I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING ROLES THAT FEEL GENUINE' Talking about the kinds of stories that inspire her both on and off screen, Sreeleela says, 'I've always been a sucker for love stories and romcoms. Now I'm in my early 20s, and that's the vibe I'm in. Core emotions like love stay the same; what changes is how they're expressed in cinema. I want to be part of stories that are true to my age and feelings. Today, we are also seeing a rise in female-led films. I love seeing women tap into those strong, inspiring stories, and I hope to portray such roles myself. ' I love entertaining, and being able to do it on a wider canvas only makes me happier Sreeleela
Pink Villa
34 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Coolie Final Hindi Advance Booking Report: Rajinikanth's film ends pre-sales on a very good note; Sells 36,000 tickets in top chains for day 1
Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, and starring Rajinikanth and other exceptional Indian actors like Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Aamir Khan, Shruti Haasan, Upendra and others, is all set to hit theatres in just a few hours. The movie's advance bookings for the Hindi version, closed on a very good note, selling 36,000 tickets in top chains for day 1. The movie gears up for an opening of around Rs 5 crore net, making it the second biggest Kollywood opener in Hindi. This is despite releasing alongside a film as massive as War 2, and with an able film like Mahavatar Narsimha continuing to hold screens. Coolie Sells Very Good 36,000 Tickets In Top Chains For Day 1 In Hindi Coolie is gearing up to become the biggest opener of Kollywood, worldwide. The film's opening day worldwide is pegged at around Rs 150 crore. For an actor who has been around for 50 years, it is truly remarkable that he is able to still build that level of curiosity among the audience that he is catering to. To deliver the industry's biggest opener at the age of 74 is a testament of his enduring appeal. It also puts Lokesh Kanagaraj in the list of India's top 5 directors currently. His ability to churn blockbuster cinema eveery two years is remarkable and commendable. Coolie Will Be The Most Preferred Indian Movie On 14th August, 2025 Worldwide Among Indian Movies War 2 looked to be a stiff rival when the clash was confirmed to be happening. However, War 2's global opening now shall be just a little over half of Coolie. War 2 will need some really strong holds in the days to follow, to secure a better lifetime than Coolie. Rajinikanth And Lokesh Kanagaraj Have Already Started Work On Their Film After Coolie Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj are busy filmmakers. They have already started work on their upcoming films after Coolie - Jailer 2 and Kaithi 2 respectively. Their professionalism is worth highlighting, especially at a time when most filmmakers are taking years to just get a new project on floors. Coolie In Theatres Coolie plays in theatres in just a few hours from the time of this article. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
