Saroj Khan from Mr India sets (courtesy shekharkapur)

New Delhi:

Saroj Khan’s legacy includes several iconic Bollywood dance numbers featuring Sridevi and the song Hawa Hawai from Mr India is undoubtedly among them. Saroj Khan’s death prompted Mr India director Shekhar Kapur to take a trip down memory lane and dig out a “sad” memory from when Hawa Hawai was being filmed many years ago. The photo stars Saroj Khan, who died on Friday, and Sridevi, whose tragic death shocked the film fraternity in 2018. Explaining the happenings in the photo, Shekhar Kapur wrote: “She was not just a genius at movement. She was a genius at expressions. Here she is explaining to Sridevi, how the choreography and expression were part of the same movement.” Sridevi co-starred with Anil Kapoor in Mr India – he played the titular role.

“This is a sad picture. Shot on the sets of the famous number Hawa Hawai,” Shekhar Kapur added and then shared his memory of Saroj Khan, as he remembered her from Mr India sets: “Saroj Khan would be sitting on a chair. Laughing. Sharing jokes with members of the set. Suddenly the music would come on. All eyes would turn to Saroj. She would smile at Sridevi. And dance. And she would transform. We would be mesmerized. This was surely another being. Her ability to be so fluid with her body belied belief. And then as she finished showing us the choreography we all could not help but applaud.”

Saroj Khan would respond to Shekhar Kapur’s 4 am calls, he said: “When did she ever sleep? When did she ever rest? I would call her at 4 am to talk to her about a shot (I am famous for that). And she would talk through the shot. We would go into rehearsals at 6 am. When did she ever rest? When did she ever stop smiling?”

Shekhar Kapur added what made Saroj Khan a legendary choreographer: “With Saroj Khan went the particularity Indian style of body movement. Her choreography defined the Indian woman in all her forms.”

“Goodbye Saroj ji. Goodbye, you amazing force of nature,” Shekhar Kapur wrote in his send-off note to Saroj Khan.

Saroj Khan also choreographed Sridevi in songs such as Kaate Nahi Kat Te from Mr India, Main Naagin Tu Sapera from Nagina and Mere Haathon Mein from Chandni.