Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 29, 2019)

In the days since Kalank’s latest song First Class dropped online, Kiara Advani has been appreciated for her graceful moves. While the actor has previously featured in a few dance numbers, the Abhishek Varman-directed venture gave her the opportunity to explore classical dance for the first time. A self-confessed fan of Madhubala, Advani turned to the legendary actor — celebrated as much for her poise as for her nimble feet — for inspiration.

“Madhubala is one of the iconic actresses of Indian cinema. When I was offered to do this special song, she served as the reference for my look and persona,” gushes Advani. What followed was a series of discussions with fashion designer Manish Malhotra as they curated a look that was an homage to the late star. “I also watched many of her songs to pick up her nuances,” she adds.

The track, also featuring Varun Dhawan, has been choreographed by Remo D’Souza with the stars being trained by his assistants, Shazia Samji and Piyush Bhagat. Samji tells mid-day that the youngster trained with her for several weeks before joining Dhawan on the set. “Kiara had already perfected the adaa before she started our rehearsals. She also watched many videos of Madhubala, including Jab Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and Mohe Panghat Pe [Mughal-E-Azam] .”