Chhaayaageet #239 - "What amazing talent this guy seems to have!"
The hero of the film is a young man who is looking to make a mark in films. He hails from a very successful and reputed film family. Father is a successful film producer. Two elder brothers are producer and a star hero, respectively. So, naturally, the young man bears the burden of continuing the legacy.
But that is not what’s giving the hero bouts of anxiety. That pressure is nothing compared to what he needs to do in the next few days. He needs to dance, and dance well. The song is over 6 minutes long. The hero prepares himself mentally for this pressure cooker situation to last for a good number of days.
The heroine of the film is an established star. She is an excellent dancer. And the young man needs to match steps with her in a dance without a bevy of background dancers. The prospect of being the only other person dancing in the frame next to her is downright scary for the young man.
He makes a plea to the choreographer. The song will be recorded over the course of a few days. He needs a whole lot more practice if he is to not embarrass himself in front of the heroine and the rest of the crew.
“Master ji, hum kal jo dance shoot karne waale hain uski practice mujhe karni hai. Mein kal subah 6.30 baje aana chahta hoon rehearsal ke liye, sirf mein akele.” Master, I need to practice the portion of the dance that we are going to shoot tomorrow. I am willing to come at 6:30 in the morning to rehearse, alone all by myself.
The choreographer takes sympathy to his plight. It is not easy to dance with the heroine. She can learn the steps almost immediately. The choreographer knows it will not be easy for the hero.
The hero and the choreographer meet early in the morning. She tells him the steps they are going to shoot later in the day. For an hour, the hero and the choreographer keep at it, till the hero is comfortable with the steps. The whole dance is a whole another matter, but the hero only wants to become comfortable with the steps they are going to film today. Tomorrow, they can move on to the next portion of the song and he can learn the new steps in tomorrow morning.
The hero goes home, showers, and shows up on set. The day goes on. They film a few scenes. Then it is time to film the song. The choreographer and filmmaker have broken the dance down so they know exactly what portion of the song and the dance they are going to film today.
The heroine is not familiar with the steps of the dance. The choreographer moves forward and shows the hero and the heroine the steps. The hero is able to perform them immediately, having practiced them in the morning.
The heroine is amazed to see this. She knows this young man is a newcomer. But she did not know that he is such a good dancer. He can pick up the steps right away! She marvels to herself, “What amazing talent this guy seems to have!”
The first day’s shoot of the song is filmed comfortably. This routine goes on for a few days. The hero and the choregrapher meet in the morning at 6:30. The hero learns the steps of the sequence they are going to shoot later in the day. And the heroine continues to be impressed at the young' man’s dancing skills.
Until one day it all comes down like a house of cards.
There is some problem with the camera angle and the lighting. After repeated attempts, they are not able to shoot today’s sequence of the song to the filmmaker’s satisfaction.
The choreographer decides to adjust on the fly.
“Koi baat nahin. Hum kal ka dance aaj shoot karte hain,” the choreographer suggests to the filmmaker, hero, and heroine. No problem. We will shoot tomorrow’s dance sequence today.
Hearing this, the hero breaks into a sweat. He knows only the steps for today’s sequence that he has learnt and practiced in the morning. Now the cat will be out of the bag. The heroine will find out that he is not a good dancer. He is going to struggle in front of her. He is going to embarrass himself on the set. She might even be amused at his predicament.
Somehow the hero manages to get through the day.
Sanjay Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit starred in the film, Raja (1995), directed by Indra Kumar. Music was composed by Nadeem-Shravan, lyrics were written by Sameer. The song is sung by Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan. Choreography is composed by Saroj Khan.
Raja was a commercial box office blockbuster and the success of the film was attributed to Madhuri Dixit’s performance. This was her third film with Inder Kumar, after Dil (1990, Aamir Khan, Madhuri Dixit) and Beta (1992, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit).
Sanjay Kapur made his debut in 1995. Raja was his second film, which released a month after his first film, Prem (1995).
The music of Raja was the second most sold album of 1995, with popular songs like Akhiyan Milaoon, Kisi Dil Banoongi Mein and Nazrein Mili Dil Dhadka.
Dance: Saroj Khan
*ing: Sanjay Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit
Music: Nadeem-Shravan
Lyrics: Sameer
Singers: Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan
Director: Inder Kumar
Film: Raja (1995)