Choreographer Farah Khan was at her wittiest best at an in-conversation session at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa. She spoke about her journey of choreographer and then as a director.
What are the challenges when it comes to choreographing the song, “it is easy to choreograph when a director has a clear vision, how the song has to look? Mani Ratnam has great clarity he pushes the technicians to give their best.”
When Aamir Khan Ditched Farah Khan Over Being A Part Of Om Shanti Om’s Song ‘Deewangi’
On being accused of making masala films, Farah said, “Please don’t leave your brain or any part of your body behind. A general perception is that a film that has entertainment that has no value. Unfortunately, we all are prejudiced.
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Talking about item songs…Farah said, “in the 90s and early 2000 we did a lot of songs. When we look back, we wonder if that really happened. Now as you grow and learn, you realise you shouldn’t do these kinds of songs where you objectively women. Now you are careful…sometimes people also get touchy about frivolous things but a lot has changed too.”
Talking about the song Deewangi from Om Shanti Om, when asked if she managed to get all the actors she wanted, Farah laughed, “Aamir drove me crazy for ten days but he couldn’t make it because he was editing Taare Zameen Par…After 4 years he told me he didn’t want to do the song.
Shahrukh told me he would bring Saira Ji and Dilip Ji…I am still waiting for that day. Don’t leave a thing on a man to do she said with tongue in cheek.
Talking about the iconic Chaiyaa Chaiyaa song, Farah said, “We couldn’t get the permission to shoot at the station, so we managed to shoot it on top of a train and without rehearsals, we did it in 4 days…no one fell,” she laughed.
We approached Shilpa to Raveena… lot of actors but no one did it. Malaika Arora did the song and became a star after that.
I got a lot of international films because of that song…Bombay Dreams, Vanity Fair even a Chinese film Perhaps Love.
“The idea of Om Shanti Om in fact germinated because of Bombay Dreams even the end credit things (songs where the technicians are introduced) came from there.”
Talking about how there are less song and dance numbers nowadays, She said, “Lot of songs today are non-lip Sync. Soon You might not have songs to dance on.”
Talking about remixes, “I am fed up of remixes. I don’t know why they are making them..it’s a call the music company has taken. Because it is nostalgic. A retro song catches fast.”
She also spoke about her web show called Back Benchers. “It is a quiz show…sometimes we dumb it down when we know which celebrity is coming she said with a wink.
Anything that you wish to do in says the next 5 years?
I definitely want to make Tom Cruise Dance.
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