Everyone who has worked in the Hindi film industry has a Sanjay Leela Bhansali story to share. And in the case of choreographer Kruti Mahesh, who has been receiving praise for “Tilasmi Baahein” from Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, the story is rather interesting. The choreographer, who has worked closely with Remo D’Souza, collaborated with Bhansali on Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat and Gangubai Kathiawadi. In a recent interview with Radio Nasha Official, Kruti recalled receiving a call from the ace filmmaker’s office in 2012 and how she couldn’t accept Bhansali’s offer to choreograph a song in Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela due to prior professional commitments, naturally irking the Devdas director.
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“I was a skipper on Dance India Dance Li’l Masters and Bhansali sir was shooting Ram Leela. I got a call from his office and was asked to meet him. During that time, I was working with Remo sir on and off, if not on TV, then on some other projects. I was intimidated by the meeting and I told myself, ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai (What’s happening).’ He was supposed to give me a song to choreograph in Ram Leela. He gave me a CD, and before I could hear it, it was taken back from me, and I was told, ‘Aapko call aayega (You will get a call).’ I thought I lost the opportunity,” she shared.
A few weeks later, Kruti Mahesh, who choreographed “Garmi”, received a call from one of Bhansali’s ADs who told her the director wanted her to travel to Kutch for 15 days. Kruti, who was working on a TV show and had signed a contract, couldn’t say yes to the opportunity. “I couldn’t afford to be away for 2 weeks, which equated to me not shooting for four episodes. I couldn’t breach the contract and get into a legal issue. I didn’t have the money to get into any legal issues. I was upset and felt like the opportunities were slipping away from my hands,” she lamented.
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As destiny would have it, almost two years later, when Kruti was assisting Remo D’Souza on Bajirao Mastani, Sanjay Leela Bhansali came to see the rehearsals on the first day of the shoot and kept looking at her. She hoped that he didn’t recognise her. “He pointed his finger at me and said aloud, ‘You had come to meet me for Ram Leela!’”
Later, when the choreographer was once again working on Bhansali’s set, the filmmaker walked up to her and asked, “You don’t want to work with me? You didn’t do the song in Ram Leela.” She replied, “Why wouldn’t anyone work with you? I was bound by a contract and didn’t have the money to file a legal case.”
After filming for Bajirao Mastani, Bhansali asked her if she would like to work with him on a song. “I went like, ‘Of course!’ I remember asking Remo sir if I should take up this offer, and he was very supportive,” she added.
The “Ghoomar” choreographer, sharing her experience of working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, said “It is wonderful to be on his sets and watch him make a film on his canvas. He works beautifully with frames. I don’t think any other director in India does it the way he does. As a choreographer, I let him breathe and give him his space.” Recalling an incident from the sets of Gangubai Kathiwadi, she shared, “While doing the choreography for ‘Dholida’, he asked me aur kuch hosakta hai and I was open to doing more variations of the steps.”
When asked how did she land Heeramandi, Kruti quickly replied, “I think he assumes that I am going to be there. I never ask him how many songs I am going to do. If he feels he needs me, he will call for me and if he feels someone else could do it better, he will ask them to do it. I never question his process.” She shared that the first song she did for Heeramandi was Aditi Rao Hydari’s mujra sequence.
Heeramandi will debut on Netflix on May 1.
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