When Saroj Khan scolded Rekha

By
RUBY ZAIDI
One of the finest choreographers of all time, Saroj Khan, the legend has choreographed hundreds of iconic songs/dances. Even to this very day, the choreographies she had done in her illustrious career are an example for so many aspiring choreographers and dancers in the world of cinema across the globe.Besides being an exceptionally trained choreographer, Saroj Khan was loved by almost all the A-listed celebrities in the film industry.
In 1990 when K.R. Reddy collected the cast of Rekha, Rishi Kapoor, Jeetendra, Danny Denzongpa for the film, Sheshnaag. The director had also brought the ace choreographer, Saroj Khan into the film to choreograph the song, O Mere Dushman, which had gone on to become one of the biggest hits of that era. However, not everyone is aware of the incident when Rekha was scolded by Saroj Khan that had left Rekha in tears. That scolding by the very strict Saroj Khan made Rekha burst with tears. The incident amid the two famous celebrities of the Indian Film Industry was such that it made the headlines in the media. Reason behind the scolding was that Rekha wasn’t showing enough interest and dedication while working with Saroj Khan. The then one of the assistants of Saroj Khan, Ahmad Khan recalled the incident-
“Masterji scolded Rekha ji,
Rekha suddenly turned her face and I saw she had tears in her eyes. So, Saroj masterji told her that ‘I feel you should shoot today’, and she said, ‘Main karoongi shooting, zaroor karungi, and Rekha jee walked away to get ready’.”
Despite all the differences that Rekha and Saroj Khan had during the filming of O Mere Dushman, the choreography of the song is still regarded as one of the finest choreographies in Indian cinema, with Rekha giving a generational performance making it iconic for ages.
Choreographer Saroj Khan was very strict when it comes upto rehearsal of the dances. All the actors have faced such kind of strictness once or twice while learning the steps choreographed by Saroj Khan.