'ABCD - AnyBody Can Dance' and 'ABCD 2' has succeeded not merely because of dance, but mainly because of its good script. Viewers have loved the story, and that's why my movies have done well at the box office.
Remo D'Souza
Dance has helped me overcome a lot of personal challenges. If I feel sad or depressed, I just go to the set and dance. It makes me feel alive.
I am happy. I have won many awards, but it is the national award that I was waiting for. This means everything to me.
'A Flying Jatt' is a good superhero with no dark side. So, it is all good vs. all bad without any shades of grey.
If you don't take a risk, you will not be satisfied and happy. I think one must look at creating history.
I never compromise with my work.
Apart from Michael Jackson, the only man I look upto and admire his dancing skills is Prabhudheva.
'ABCD...' was a dance movie, but it had an emotional story, and now 'ABCD 2' is a very emotional film, too.
As far as I'm concerned, dance is a passion for me. I don't do homework and go to the sets. I believe in being impromptu. I just go on the sets and start doing whatever comes to my mind.
I want to create a superhero... which everyone will say that we have a superhero called 'A Flying Jatt'.
The dancing style in Bollywood has changed a lot after 2000, mainly because of the dance-based reality TV shows. Everyone knows about the varied dance styles nowadays. The actors are also quick to pick up dance forms such as locking, popping, breaking and hip-hop. So, this factor has changed the industry's dancing style as a whole.
The good part is once I start directing, I can choose the songs I want to do. I'm just selective now when it comes to choreography.
Firstly, 'Dance plus' is the only dance reality show in India with an entire panel of captains who rose to fame through their dancing skills. The show will introduce audiences to new trends and evolved dance forms through solo, duo, and group performers.
My journey in Bollywood has been quite filmy, as it includes sleeping on railway platforms to teaching dance for a living. The journey has taught me a lot, and I am very grateful that all that happened with me. It helped me in becoming a more stronger man.
It's not necessary that every film that I direct will have dance in it. I would love to explore different areas.
I want to see movies that explore different forms and new styles of dance, and also those that revive the old.
Youngsters are selecting dance as a profession and are aiming for an aspiring career in the field of dance. I am happy to see that we brought about that change and encouraged young people to opt for dance as their path.
Like a film, dance steps or sequences are creative works. If a script can have a copyright, and so can songs, why can't dance sequences as well?
I believe that reality shows are extremely important for the talented. Contestants get a platform where they can prove their talent. If they are good at what they do, their life is made. Personally, reality shows have helped me get fame and money.
I am glad I tried something different with 'A Flying Jatt'. I will be okay even if I failed with this film.
I have worked with Salman a lot of times and have choreographed him earlier also. He doesn't do rehearsals; he never comes for that. He is the only actor who has never opened the door for rehearsals.
My chemistry with Salman goes long back, and we have a great equation. Doing a film with him is no less than a dream.
Hollywood and Bollywood films cannot be compared because of their budgets!
I would love to make Madhuri Dixit dance. If I do a film with her, it definitely has to be a 'Madhuri Dixit film'. I don't want to cast her in a small role. I will do a full- fledged dance film with her.
People think that Salman does his own style of dancing, which he doesn't do most of the time.
If you have won a national award, it means you have done something great.
I had two good films: 'ABCD2' and 'Bajirao Mastani.'
Even after choreographing some big numbers, I didn't qualify as the top choreographer. You need to have godfathers and big people to support you for others to take you seriously.
It is now, after doing TV shows and so much work, that people have accepted me as a great choreographer. So I had to struggle too much, and I am happy with my journey today, though there is a lot more left now.
My journey has practically been a typical Hindi film script. I was a boy from a small town who wanted to make a future in dancing. Everyone though that I won't be able to do anything.
I entered the film industry as a background dancer and then gradually rose step by step. Now I am a judge and a filmmaker, but amongst everything, my personal favourite continues to be dancing, as it is what has led me to the rest.
'ABCD' is impossible without Prabhudheva. So 'ABCD 3' will have Prabhudheva for sure. The first and second films were written keeping Prabhu in mind, and same goes for the third series as well.
'Flying Jatt' is a superhero movie, and the villain needs to be really strong.
Our films have immense power, and we have always accepted international artistes with open arms. If Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone can do wonders in Hollywood, then they can also do it here.
Only directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who make period films, have songs in their movies that facilitate the inclusion of classical dance forms. No one else is concentrating on making pure classical numbers.
When I started off as a choreographer, I had to do songs, which I may have wanted to do differently, but directors had their own inputs to give. But now, I take liberty to decide my own dance steps as well.
I will never leave choreography and will keep doing songs, too.
No film can do well purely on the basis of dance.
I didn't start out my directorial career with a dance film, as I knew people thought a choreographer will easily make a dance film. And even with a non-dance film, I had delivered a successful film.
The perception that 'Indians can't make superhero films' needs to change. We can make superhero films in the budgets given to us.
I wanted to make an unusual superhero film for quite some time.
Choreography is something that I am always going to take up, and it will be on the forefront.
I was 14-15 when I first saw Michael Jackson dance, and I thought, 'How can he move like that?' I started following him. We didn't have TV in those days, and could access videos on VCR. But who in Gujarat would keep a MJ tape? After a year or so, I knew somebody from Mumbai who got that tape for me.
I look forward to 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' every year because the format of the show is really nice - celebrities coming in and competing with each other. The main reason I do it is Madhuri Dixit. I am a big fan, and I sit next to her, so it's like a dream.
The prime reason behind making 'A Flying Jatt' was that there are barely any 'desi' superhero films in Bollywood which Indians can relate to. I wanted to exhibit that a superhero is more than just superpowers and leads a normal life like the others do. I wanted to attach a human factor to a superhero.
Dance+ is a platform for Indian talent that puts a spotlight on pure, superlative, unique dancing.
We have a lot of raw talent hidden in this country capable of taking on the world dance stage by storm.
I had no confusion about making a superhero film. From the very day one, I knew I will make a movie of this genre which will have an Indian superhero. I never wanted to copy my superhero from any of the Hollywood ones.
If I can make a dance-based movie like 'ABCD', then I was sure I could make a superhero movie, too.
Ballet is one form which I really want Indians to practice it.
