ABCD Director Slept On Railway Platforms

Not every celebrity accidentally steps into fame or is born into a star-studded family. There are a few who sweat it out and make it big in the industry. Choreographer Remo D'Souza is one of them. Sleeping on railway platforms and teaching dance for a living were part of his struggle to enter the film industry. Remo, director of ABCD-Any Body Can Dance opens up about his past, the struggle and his inspiration. The story of Remo is a heart-touching one.

Remo was just 14-years-old when he saw Michael Jackson do the moonwalk and he wondered how MJ could move like that. Now he is a successful choreographer. Remo D'Souza, who hails from Jamnagar, a city in Gujarat credits 'King of Pop' for giving him a dream worth following. Remo got his first Bollywood break in 1995 with Ram Gopal Varma's Rangeela. Remo's journey in Bollywood has been quite filmy. It wasn't overnight that he became a famous choreographer.

"I was 14-15-years-old when I first saw Michael Jackson's dance and I thought 'How can he move like that?' I started following him. We didn't had TV in those days and could access videos on VCR. But who in Gujarat would keep a MJ tape? After a year or so, I knew somebody from Mumbai who got that tape for me. That is how I started dancing and told my parents that I don't want to study but dance. Initially, they were very scared, my father was against it. But my mom and sister supported me and allowed me to go to Mumbai for a month," Remo revealed.

After months of struggle in the industry, Remo ended up teaching dancing for a living to avoid going home. "After a month, I was on the streets. Had no food, no money, sleeping on stations. I thought my life was over and I will have to go back, listen to my father. So I lied to my mom for months that I have work. Then came Rangeela in 1995 and I got to showcase my talent," he added. Today, Remo has worked in various movies that have become blockbusters.

He is currently working on Mental and Krrish 3. Remo credits dance reality show JHALAK DIKHLA JAA for making him a familiar face among the audiences. "I look forward to Jhalak Dikhla Ja every year because the format of the show is really nice, celebrities coming in and competing with each other. The main reason I do it is Madhuri Dixit. I am a big fan and I sit next to her so it's like a dream," the choreographer said.

PTI