When Saroj Khan Asked Rekha If She Was Allergic To The Choreographer ( Photo Credit – Show Still )
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Saroj Khan is one of the most remembered and respected dance choreographers in the Bollywood industry. With her work alongside actors like Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and many more other actresses. The choreographer has given many sensational dance routines during her time. But not everyone was comfortable working alongside her, one such name was Rekha.
Talking about the same, in an old interview the late choreographer had opened up about a time when she had asked the ‘Mr Natwarlal’ actress if she was allergic to her.
During the 1990s movie Sheshnaag directed by KR Reddy, Saroj Khan was the one to create a dance sequence for actress Rekha. At this time the team was gearing up to finish the movie, as per the choreographer, Rekha was not giving her the dates for the dance shoot. During an interview with Lehren, Saroj said, “The producer had given us very little time, we had three days of rehearsals. My group and I worked round the clock to compose (its choreography) and then requested the producer to send Rekha ji as it was a difficult dance. But she didn’t come. I think either she was not well or had some shoots, as far as I know, she had shoots.”
Talking more about the day of rehearsals with Rekha, Saroj Khan said, “The day she came, she was just wearing makeup, not her costume. She was sitting in her car and I went to meet her. She asked to cancel the shoot citing her ill health. I told her, ‘Rekha ji, I think you are allergic to me. I call you for rehearsals, you don’t come. You come for shoot, but say that you are not well. You can talk to the producer and change the dance masters, tell them that you don’t want to work with me. Because kuch toh gadbad hai.’”
Saroj then added, “Suddenly she turned her face and when she looked back, there were tears in her eyes. I told her that I didn’t say anything wrong to her, but felt that she should shoot today. She said, ‘I will definitely shoot today’ and went to get ready.” Later on, Saroj met Rekha again when the actress told her, “I respect you a lot but you told me that I don’t love your work.” Saroj explained, “To which I corrected her and said, I just felt like that because everyone has got their own favourites. Govinda calls Chinni Prakash because he likes him, his style suits him. If Dimple Kapadia calls Chinni Prakash, I should not mind it, just because she is my student does not mean she has to call me.”
Saroj also went on to add in the interview that she had worked with Sridevi and various actresses like her, so if Rekha had a problem working with her, she could have just asked for someone else and not delayed the date. After hearing the choreographer, Saroj claimed that Rekha agreed to learn under her to prove that she could dance. Saroj then went on to compliment her performance claiming that “she did the best.”
