SOTD : Pehla Nasha – Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

“I don’t know why Farah Khan is after me” – Saroj Khan

The iconic superstar of film choreography Saroj Khan is not amused at being targeted by Farah Khan twice over, once during a promotional appearance on Comedy Nights With Kapil where comedian Kiku Sharda did his trademark takeoff on Saroj Khan. And now in the film Happy New Year Kiku returns to do broad takeoff on the famed choreographer.

Sarojji is neither amused nor flattered by the comic imitation.

Upset but unwilling to let her hurt show Sarojji takes a deep breath and says calmly, “I want all rational media-persons to ask a question on my behalf: what did Farah Khan get by getting a comedian to mimic me on Kapil Sharma’s show, and then in her film? Kyon mere peeche pade huey ho? Shame on Farah, Kiku Sharda and Kapil Sharma for this kind of behaviour. What has Kapil Sharma got to do with me? Why is he part of this?”

Says the legendary choreographer, “Farah Khan is so frustrated. I saw what they did in Kapil’s show. Does this kind of behaviour suit Farah? I really feel sorry for these people. I don’t know what they stand to gain from targeting me in this way. Happy New Year is produced by Shah Rukh Khan. We parted ways during Baazigar when an incident happened during a schedule in Mauritius. Since then I’ve never gone to him asking for work…In fact I’ve never gone to anyone’s office to ask for work in my entire life.”

Sarojji feels Farah’s animosity goes back a long way. “The incident which Farah’s brother Sajid Khan keeps talking about during the shooting of Mansoor Ali Khan’s Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar did not happen the way the brother and sister say it happened. The steps for ‘Pehla Nasha’ which Farah claims to have done were originally mine.”

Saroj Khan sets the record straight as to how Farah Khan was brought in to Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. “I was doing that picture. We all went to Kodaikanal for 17 days to shoot three songs. This was the film that was to launch a girl called Gitanjali. We ended up doing just one song for nearly 17 days. I was pressed for time. I had to go to Shimla to shoot a song with Jackie Shroff for Rakesh Roshan in King Uncle. Mansoor suggested I prepare the steps for Aamir Khan in the song ‘Pehla Nasha’ which Mansoor wanted to shoot in high-speed definition. Mansoor suggested, ‘Tu ek kaam kar. Show me the steps, leave your assistants here and you go and come back from Shimla, we’ll do rehearsals with Aamir.’ After composing the steps for Aamir and briefing him on how to shoot in high-speed I left behind two assistants Upendra and Sheila. I went straight to Shimla. When I returned to Mumbai I heard Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar had been stalled because the leading lady Gitanjali had problems. The heroine had to be changed. All the schedules went awry. Eventually when they were shooting a song with Pooja Bedi they called me. It was impossible for me to accommodate Mansoor into my date dairy. I told them to do Pooja Bedi’s song with another choreographer and that I’d take it up from the second song. Because Farah was an assistant director to Mansoor he told her to pitch in a bit of choreography for the title song of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. This is what Mansoor told me. After this I couldn’t go back to do the rest of the songs because of my dates. This is what happened. But Farah and her brother distorted the facts to claim that I had been sacked from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. When I told Mansoor this he had called up Sajid and Farah in front of me to confront them. I didn’t have dates, so Mansoor got Farah. That’s the truth. Iss baat ko un logon ne kahan tak pahunchaya hai.”

Sarojji feels it’s illogical for Farah Khan to feel competitive. “Now she is no longer a choreographer. She is a director. I’ve never gone to her for work. Then why do I matter so much to her? Just to stay in the news? I am no more in the limelight. I am out of the film industry now. My focus is on teaching dancing to children. I am busy with that. Allah Miyan ne pait diya hai bharega bhi Wohi. Why does she feel threatened by me? Why is she feeling so frustrated? I’ve never spoken behind her back. Yet Farah and her brother continue to bitch about me.”

Regarding the constant barbs about her weight Sarojji asks, “Why target me? Why not Ganesh Acharya? He’s more overweight than me. And please come and see me now. I am slimmer than Farah Khan.”

Says the indefatigable choreographer, “I think Farah owes me an apology.”

Link