Was choreographing Pinga for Bajirao Mastani a challenge, since classical is not your forte?
It was a huge challenge, but it's not like I've not done classical numbers before. Sanjay (Leela Bhansali, director) called me and said he wanted me to choreograph Pinga. I was eager to work with him. For the first time, I got a free hand to choreograph the song. Sanjay came in only later, during the rehearsals. I had two of India's best dancing divas (Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra) to choreograph and a lot to research. It doesn't get better.
The song is in the eye of a controversy after Peshwa Bajirao's family objected to Kashibai (Priyanka) dancing...
Bhansali has worked on the film for more than a decade. I am sure he has done his homework thoroughly. As a choreographer, my team and I did our research well. As for people liking or not liking the way Priyanka and Deepika have danced, we always knew that there will be divided opinions. I am not saying naysayers are wrong, but I can't please everyone.
Was it a conscious decision to keep a balance between the leading ladies in the song?
Yes. Both Kashibai and Mastani are equally important to the story. Their dance styles are different and that was also done deliberately. Kashi had more energy and steps, while Mastani was given more postures.
But there's no balance, because PeeCee has clearly stolen the limelight...
Well, some people feel Deepika has surpassed Priyanka. It's a very subjective thing and a never-ending debate. They have distinctly different styles of dancing, which blend well in the song.
It was obvious Pinga would be compared to Dola Re Dola (Devdas). Did that bother you while working on Pinga?
The moment I heard about Pinga, I knew there will be comparison. Dola re was choreographed by Saroj Khan, who is the grandmother of choreography. Her set was colourful, huge and brightly lit up with Madhuri (Dixit) and Aishwarya (Rai) dancing. In Pinga, we are representing a period when only oil lamps were used. So, we couldn't go too bright on the setting. Aishwarya-Madhuri and Priyanka-Deepika can't be compared. And, I can't be compared to Sarojji either. I've learnt choreography from Ahmed Khan who was her student. I'm her grandchild in that sense. This song is a tribute to Sarojji, because no one knows desi dancing better than her.
Around the same time, you choreographed a hip-hop number for Dilwale. How do you switch between two drastically different forms of dance?
While shooting Manma Emotion Jaage, I had just finished working on ABCD 2, in which Varun Dhawan and I did 10 songs. That guy's energy is unbelievable and so, the song was a cakewalk for me.
And then you dashed into A Flying Jatt, without taking a breather. Why?
I hate sitting at home. Some people look for peace when they're creating something new. I'll fall sick if there's silence around me. I want to be on the sets, buzzing. That's where I get my thoughts. So, I consciously don't stop working.
After Varun, you have another dancer -- Tiger Shroff -- in A Flying Jatt...
Some actors dance well, while others are good in action scenes; Tiger excels in both. In fact, I wanted to launch him. We used to gym together and I'd often see him practise kick-boxing. I'd also spoken to his mum Ayesha about it. However, while we were still talking, Heropanti happened. It was a bigger banner and a superb launch for him. After that, we again got talking, but before we could finalise something, I got busy with ABCD 2 and he signed Baaghi. Finally, with A Flying Jatt, we have come together.
Why did you cast Nathan Jones as the villain?
A superhero becomes a superhero because of the villain -- he has to look menacing and huge. I wanted someone who could make Tiger look really tiny while standing next to him... I want people to think, "Yeh hero villain ko kaise harayega?" Nathan was my first choice and one of the three names we had in mind. He was also the first to revert, so I got lucky! He's the Mad Max star. We sent him the script, locked the deal and he took the first flight to Las Vegas from Australia. We got his costume made there and he trialled them. When I saw him in his get-up, I felt that casting him was the best decision of my life.
You have a doppelganger on the sets for both the actors...
They are very important, especially for action scenes. But the fact is, I don't have a body double for Nathan. He's so huge, I could not find one. He had to do it all on his own. But he's so professional. He wouldn't stop shooting even if he was bleeding, hurt on his head, shoulder and elbows. "Continue! These injuries happen along the way," he'd say. We should learn from actors like Nathan, because hamare yahan to male actors ko scratch bhi aaya to itne bahane aur nakhre karte hain.Coming to Tiger, I had to keep his doppelganger ready all the time because we were shooting wide and close shots almost simultaneously.
A Flying Jatt's first poster was compared to Hrithik Roshan's Krrish poster...
Watch the film and then if you feel up to it, compare the two. I have stopped reacting to such talks. Faltu was compared to 3 Idiots, ABCD to Step Up, and now this. Each time, people have had to swallow their words because I've proven them wrong.
Buzz is, Ekta Kapoor has signed you for a four-film deal...
We are still in talks.
What about the film with Karan Johar?
We've closed the deal amicably and I've taken that script out of Dharma Productions. In all probabilities, I'll back the film as a producer because it's a lovely script and it should be made.
After choreography and direction, you plan to turn producer?
I want to back a lot of beautiful stories and ideas, but I can't practically direct all of them. So, I'll start producing films. I have a couple of filmmaker friends who can direct them. I also have bright assistants who can be launched as independent filmmakers under my banner. I'm not talking about a wish-list.We will announce our first film by the end of this month.
As a filmmaker, do you particularly aim for commercial viability?
There's a Rohit Shetty who makes great entertainers and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who creates works of art. And there's a third school of filmmaking, which is Rajkumar Hirani's. He merges art with entertainment. I want to follow Hirani. He's got the knack of making sensible films with commercial value and a message.
Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, we hear, have approached you to cast them in ABCD 3...
Katrina had told me on the sets of Dance Plus that she's keen to do ABCD 3, but we haven't cracked anything big as yet. As for Hrithik, he has never expressed his desire to do ABCD 3. But yes, he and I want to work together.
Didn't Hrithik call you after seeing ABCD 2?
Yes, he called me up and when we met, he gave me a sense of what he wants and I gave him a sense of what I can do with him. I've realised that action and dance go hand-in-hand for both of us, but I have to first figure out a good script for him with these elements.
Thumbanail Image Source: Manav Manglani