How Saroj Khan Became A Choreographer

Brut India

Born to a poor couple who migrated to India after Partition, Saroj Khan became one of Bollywood's most well regarded choreographers.

Transcript

00:00My daughter died. She was 8 months and 5 days.

00:03I buried her and I had a train at 5 o'clock.

00:08Where do I have to go?

00:09Hare Rama, Hare Krishna.

00:12And what song do I have to sing?

00:13Dum Maro Dum.

00:17I am the daughter of a poor family.

00:21We were refugees in India and Pakistan.

00:25When we were born, my parents came here.

00:28I was born a year later in Bombay.

00:33They had nothing.

00:36I had to leave everything behind.

00:40It was difficult to take care of the house.

00:45When I was 3 years old, I used to watch Shadow and dance.

00:51In our family, no one knows how to dance.

00:55We have no connection with music or photography.

01:00No one makes paintings.

01:03My mother thought I was a freak.

01:07She took me to a doctor.

01:09The doctor was connected to the film industry.

01:12He said, this girl wants to dance.

01:15Why are you stopping her?

01:16You need money anyway.

01:19Let her dance.

01:21My mother said, we don't know anyone here.

01:24I said, no problem, I will introduce her to the film industry.

01:29That's how I entered the industry.

01:31To save my mother and father.

01:33From, you know, little children were there behind me also.

01:41My sister was very young when she was born.

01:45And I lost my father when I was 10 and a half.

01:49I used to get a child role.

01:51With 10 and a half, it's such an age that you're not required in elders, neither in young age.

01:59So, I started group dancing.

02:04I was a very fine dancer till that time.

02:09And then, Mr. Sohanlal South, B. Sohanlal South, and Hiralal, his brother.

02:18They came here from Madras.

02:20So, the first song, Aplam Chaplam, was like a bomb to this industry.

02:25Because in this industry, they used to hold a tree and sing songs all around it.

02:32This was going on till then.

02:34Suddenly, they saw, there is a dance like this also.

02:38The producers went mad.

02:40Both the brothers didn't have time to eat.

02:44Day and night, their songs started.

02:47So, they used to select group dancers.

02:50And at that time, group dancers didn't know how to dance, actually.

02:55So, they used to do postures, etc.

02:59By doing this, they trained a lot of girls.

03:03I was also one of them.

03:05At that time, Masterji saw me when I was 12.

03:10He picked me out and made me his assistant, directly.

03:15So, the first song that came in my destiny was Shami Kapoor and Vyjayanti Mala.

03:20And the assistant choreographer was Harman Benjamin,

03:27who later became the exclusive dance master of Shashi Kapoor and Shami Kapoor.

03:35He was the only assistant at that time.

03:39So, we both taught Vyjayanti Mala and Shami Kapoor.

03:43So, she got very irritated with Masterji.

03:46Do we have to learn dance from kids also?

03:49So, he said, I won't tell you anything.

03:52You just do what she is doing.

03:56So, that's how she became my fan.

03:59Rather than me being her fan, she was my fan.

04:04Not was, she is my fan still.

04:07Nobody has helped me, except for Subhash Ghai.

04:13I was in the film industry.

04:16People knew me, but I didn't earn that name, which I should have.

04:23He called me for his own picture, Hero.

04:26From there, I started getting name.

04:30That people started recognizing me as a good choreographer,

04:36because otherwise Subhash won't take her.

04:40That was the point.

04:42And then I got Ek, Do, Thi.

04:45Then it was no looking back.

04:47I started when Madhuvala was on the top.

04:51I came at that time.

04:53So, I have seen all of them.

04:55Dilip Saab, Rajendra Kumar, Dharmender, Chitender.

05:00But they were all humans.

05:03Nowadays, there is no human as such.

05:07There are only machines.

05:10Including the ladies also.

05:13Nobody remembers who you are, how you are connected with them.

05:19It is only...

05:31This is the time.

05:38On the 8th.

05:40This is a must.

05:42If you don't put your heart into it, nothing will happen.

05:47My daughter died.

05:48She was 8 months and 5 days.

05:51So, I buried her in the afternoon prayer.

05:56And I had a train at 5 o'clock.

05:59Where do I have to go?

06:01Hare Rama, Hare Krishna.

06:03And what song do I have to sing?

06:05Marudham.

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