"I'm petrified of facing the camera" - SLB
By:
Subhash
K.
Jha,
IndiaFM
Monday,
October
09,
2006
Why
did
you
suddenly
decide
to
judge
a
dance
contest?
Dancing
is
the
soul
of
all
my
films.
Even
in
a
song-less
film
like
Black,
the
characters
laughed
and
danced.
So
what
if
Rani
Mukherjee
was
deaf
and
blind?
She
had
to
let
her
hair
down,
go
wild,
and
dance...
Dance
was
my
main
inspiration
to
make
films.
But
you've
never
done
television
before.
I
realize
television
is
an
extremely
important
medium
today
of
expression
and
entertainment.
It
reaches
out
to
millions
of
homes.
After
having
shot
through
two
taxing
schedules
of
my
new
film
Saawariya
I
needed
to
chill
out,
smile
a
little
bit.
I'm
not
doing
the
show
to
judge
anyone,
just
to
watch
people
have
a
good
time
through
dancing.
I
also
like
the
concept.
The
show
I'm
doing
isn't
about
dancers
dancing,
but
people
from
different
walks
of
life,
like
a
chef.
It's
the
spirit
of
the
show
which
seduced
me
into
doing
it.
Just
because
I'm
a
serious
filmmaker
it
doesn't
mean
I
can't
have
a
good
time.
It
makes
me
smile
and
I
hope
it
will
make
viewers
smile
too.
Describe
your
penchant
for
dancing.
I
remember
as
a
child
I'd
come
home
from
school,
put
on
the
radio
between
2.30
and
3
in
the
afternoon
and
dance
to
any
number
that
was
played.
Since
my
childhood
my
deepest
form
of
self-expression
has
been
dance.
When
guests
came
home
they
had
to
watch
me
and
my
sister
Bela
dance.
And
God
forbid
if
the
radio
or
record
player
didn't
work
there
was
chaos.
Therefore
song
and
dance
forms
an
integral
part
of
my
creativity.
The
whole
universe
dances.
What
about
your
'serious'
image?
I
don't
know
which
image
you're
talking
about?
You
mean
of
me
in
a
dark
kurta
brooding
in
a
dark
room?
That
isn't
the
real
me.
I
don't
think
my
image
gets
diluted
by
dancing.
I
love
dancing.
Dancing
is
my
life.
Name
your
favourite
dancers.
From
Hindi
cinema?
Vyjanthimala
is
the
ultimate.
I
love
her
dances
in
Amrapali.
I
enjoy
Mumtaz's
vivacity
and
spontaneity.
Motiyon
ki
ladi
hoon
main
from
Loafer
is
my
favourite
Mumtaz
dance.
Sridevi
and
Madhuri
Dixit
are
also
my
favourites.
I
think
Sridevi's
dances
in
Chalbaaz
and
Madhuri
teaming
up
with
my
favourite
dancer
Birju
Maharaj
for
Kahe
chede
mohe
in
my
Devdas
are
among
my
golden
moments
as
a
dance
aficionado.
I
worshipped
Waheeda
Rehmanji
for
her
snake
dance
in
Guide.
Hemaji
is
my
favourite
actress,
for
her
grace.
I
adore
her
Ta
thai
tat
thai
dance
in
Tere
Mere
Sapne.
But
my
real
superstar
dancer
is
Helen
Aunty.
My
favourite
dance
of
hers
is
Piya
tu
ab
to
aaja
from
Caravan.
And
my
most
favourite
dance
item
featured
Vyjanthimalaji
and
Helen
Aunty
in
the
song
Muqabla
humse
na
karo
in
the
film
Prince.
That's
quite
an
impressive
list!
I
must
add
that
dancing
in
Hindi
cinema
owes
a
lot
to
Laxmi
Chhaya
who
danced
fabulously
in
Mera
Gaon
Mera
Desh.
Then
there's
Padma
Khanna,
Aruna
Irani
(who
danced
like
dream
in
Caravan).
Jayshree
and
Meena
T
can
never
be
discounted
from
any
discussion
on
film
dancing.
Sandhyaji
who
danced
like
a
lightning
with
Gopi
Krishna
in
Jhanak
Jhanak
Payal
Baje...I
could
go
on
and
on.
And
among
the
male
actors?
I
enjoyed
Govinda's
dances
immensely.
My
favourite
male
dancer
is
Hrithik
Roshan.
Aren't
you
afraid
of
going
into
a
new
medium?
I'm
petrified
of
facing
the
camera.
Even
to
shoot
for
a
photograph
is
an
ordeal.
But
it's
important
to
break
free
of
your
inhibitions
at
some
point
of
your
life.
As
long
as
what
you
do
reaches
out
to
people,
I
don't
think
there's
any
reason
to
stop
yourself
from
doing
anything.
How
much
of
your
time
will
this
new
job
take?
Just
enough
to
give
me
a
much-needed
break
from
my
schedules.
If
it
had
in
any
way
impinged
on
my
shooting
schedules
I'd
have
most
certainly
not
done
it.
This
stint
on
television
is
on
some
ways,
therapeutic.
It
gives
me
a
chance
to
reach
out
to
the
world.
I
don't
care
about
the
money.
This
short
shift
into
another
medium
gives
me
a
chance
to
connect
with
a
larger
audience,
as
long
as
it
entertains
me
and
the
people
who
watch
the
show,
I'm
happy.
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