How Amitabh Bachchan convinced Saroj Khan to return to Bollywood after quitting: 'He said I can't dance, have two left feet'

Before she became Bollywood’s legendary choreographer, Saroj Khan had stepped away from films and moved abroad for family life. It took witnessing Amitabh Bachchan dance with sheer joy in Don to reignite her passion for choreography and bring her back to Mumbai—an inspiring turning point in her illustrious career.

Farhan Akhtar recalls their conversation

During a chat on the YouTube channel Tried & Refused Productions, Farhan Akhtar recalled working with Saroj Khan on Nach Baliye in the early 2000s while he was scripting the new Don starring Shah Rukh Khan. He shared that Saroj spoke about her personal journey, saying she had married and moved to the Middle East, stepping away from choreography. She had started as a background dancer, then became a choreographer, but left India after her marriage to live abroad.

Returning for a full-circle moment

Farhan shared that the ace choreographer recalled watching Don (1978) and seeing Amitabh Bachchan perform the song “Khaike Paan Banaras Wala.” She remembered how Bachchan, who always claimed he couldn’t dance and had “two left feet,” was enjoying himself immensely on screen. Seeing his joy reignited her own love for dance and choreography, inspiring her to return to India and resume her career as a choreographer in Hindi films.



Akhtar recalled that he initially faced challenges incorporating the iconic song into his Don remake but eventually succeeded. He then asked Saroj Khan to choreograph it. For her, it was a full-circle moment, and she delivered brilliantly, with Shah Rukh Khan enjoying himself completely on set, he said.

Saroj Khan passed away in July 2020 at 71.
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