New Delhi: Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj, who choreographed Madhuri Dixit in the magical song ‘Kahe chhed’ in 2002 movie Devdas, is back to choreograph for Sanjay Leela Bhasali’s upcoming Bajirao Mastani.
This time the lucky girl to be choreographed is Deepika Padukone.
According to a leading daily, Pandit Birju Maharaj was supposed to direct a classical dance number featuring both Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra in Bajirao Mastani, but director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was not sure about the jugalbandi. Hence, now he will direct a solo song for Deepika.
The report quotes Birju Maharaj as saying, “Sanjay was having second thoughts about this jugalbandi and I will choreograph Deepika in a solo act which is a more contemporary adaptation of one of my own performances set on an Avadhi-Brijwasi thumri, Balma re chunaria maiko lal.”
“There’s a lot of lal rang in the song with Deepika dressed in fiery red, her head demurely covered by a ghoonghat but her eyes flashing fire,” he added.
Talking about his new student, Pandit Birju Maharaj said that initially he was cautious of working with untrained dancers but Bhansali made him watch Deepika’s Kathak sequence in Happy New Year.
“I figured she would be able to dance gracefully to the thumri Sanjay had picked out. And I was right. Deepika, who has received formal training in Bharatnatyam, quickly mastered the footwork when she came for riyaaz to Delhi,” said Panditji.
“We’ll be shooting for 12 nights at a stretch. And till then I’ve given Deepika lots of homework that’ll keep her busy,” he added.