"My film will be a treat for dance lovers, " he says. In between shots, he talks to CS about Madhuri Dixit, rain dances and his tattoos:"
Mad about Mads
I am a huge fan of Madhuri Dixit. I think I was in school when I first saw her in Ek Do Teen from Tezaab. From Chane Ke Khet Mein (Anjaam) to Maar Dala (Devdas), I can watch any of her dances any number of times.
The kind of expression and grace that Madhuri possesses is not there in anyone else. She's the true dancing diva. I would love to do a film with her. My expertise is street dance, and I would like to make her do hip hop in torn jeans, jackets and chains.
I have no doubt that she'll be as good in hip-hop as she is in Kathak. However, my favourite form is Latin American ballroom dancing. It is just two people dancing on stage and you get to see the actual chemistry between two dancers. It's simply divine!
Dancing in the rain
In rain songs, my favourites are Aaj Phir Tumpe Pyaar Aaya Hai from Dayavan. Madhuri Dixit and Vinod Khanna's chemistry is sizzling. Then, we have Kaate Nahi Kat Tey from Mr India that has another fabulous dancer, Sridevi.
Lastly, I love Tip Tip Barsa Paani from Mohra, which is an unforgettable number. I think that with the trend of the 80s masala movies coming back to the forefront, we will get to see some rain dances pretty soon.
Step to success
I am very happy to see that choreography or dance direction today is a respected profession. When I started out, no parent felt that dancing was a career of any kind.
Many parents bring their kids to me and express the desire of seeing their children as choreographers. It's nice to see parents recognising future talent.
But I would like to tell everyone aspirant that hard work and patience are of prime importance in a dancer's life. You need to work ten times harder than in any other profession. And success doesn't come easily to everyone.
Tattoo talk
There was this tattoo of Michael Jackson on my arm since a long time. Recently, I got a Buddha face done. I also plan to get Lords Ganpati and Shiva tattooed on my arm along with my parents' names. The pain is addictive!