“We were never allowed to change the step to make it easier. That was not her work ethic.” Saif pays tribute to the legendary choreographer in a heartfelt note
Saif Ali Khan (BOMBAY TIMES; July 5, 2020)

Saroj ji was the greatest and most artistic choreographer in the film industry I joined in 1990. Her name involved with a project was always a huge advantage to producers, and her style of choreography had the top talents of the film industry make music come alive with grace and sensuality.

I did my first film and first song ever with her in Parampara, which was soon followed by Aashiq Awaara, the title song of which was a big hit and stabilised my floundering career. She had me doing some trademark moves on my knees on a sweaty, incredibly hot and crowded set with no air conditioners and lots of chemical ‘smoke’. I think only my colleagues from the ’90s and before will understand the conditions I mean. I finished the step and realised I had torn the knees of my trousers, and blood was trickling down my leg. I told Saroj ji, or Masterji as I called her, and she said, “Oh, don’t worry about blood. See where this blood takes you in life.”

She taught me to work hard. I would turn off the set’s lights, wrap a malmal cloth around my head and rehearse her steps for hours, often without lunch, to get it right; but we were never allowed to change the step to make it easier — that was not her work ethic. She knew what ‘style’ suited each of us actors best, and would create that for us. She made me rehearse for a week for a song I was to do with her, and when I reached the set, she made me perform it in one go in front of the unit.

When I finished panting, she said, “Okay, now forget all that, now that you’re at ease with the song let’s try something better!” That song was Ole Ole from Yeh Dillagi, and she took a hit song to another level. I must have performed this song a few hundred times on stage on international tours, often three times in a row, to ‘encores’! I will always owe her (and Jojo and Ahmed Khan who at the time were her young assistants, and later became big names in their own right) for this song and turning me into a dancing star — an incredible feat as I have two left feet!

I was shooting a lovely romantic song late at night in Hyderabad and the heroine was having some trouble with the expressions. Saroj ji yelled on the microphone – “Sex! It’s sex! Have you never had sex?” She could shame us into performing! A song with her often became real art, with every beat and step requiring an emotion and expression. Like she told Kareena once — “If you can’t move your feet, move your face at least!”

That era is gone and that music is over, but for all of us who have had the privilege of being instructed on set by that great lady, we will never be able to hear a Hindi film song without thinking of how she has made the greatest names in Bollywood, from Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi to Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit Nene, dance to her tunes.

Rest in peace Masterji, and thank you for everything you gave us.