Vrushali Chavan, who rose to fame with the first season of Dance India Dance, is now an established choreographer in Bollywood who has worked with the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra among others. Besides film, she has also been an active part of reality shows, having appeared in some like DID Lil Masters and Jhalak Dhiklaja seasons 4 and 6, among others.
When we connected with her over the phone, the dancer was choreographing a song for another upcoming Bollywood film. During the exclusive chat with us, Vrushali gives us an insight into what goes beyond choreographing film songs and also reveals the one thing that has changed about reality shows since she was a part of one.
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The ABCD and Rista.com actor, who recently released a dance video titled Om Ganpataye Namah, also shared with News18 Showsha the biggest struggle she has faced and the highest point of her career so far as an independent artist.
Excerpts from the interview:
Tell us about the concept of your song Om Ganpataye Namah and the experience of shooting it.
It is a mythological concept and is very unique because this has never been featured in a music video before. It is based on Parvati creating her son from her dirt because she wanted someone she can count on. Nandi was Shivji’s guard so she wanted someone who would take her command and be there for her. She created her son Ganeshji and then Shivji beheaded him. We have shown it in a very subtle way and anybody who knows the story will understand it.
The experience was incredible because I have a bachelor’s degree in Bharat Natyam and I am grateful that after 9-10 years in the industry, I finally got to do it on screen. Last year I did a thumri and that was the closest I came to classical in the video or film space. The director apparently saw my Ganpati dance in ABCD and asked me to choreograph but the channel asked me to perform it as well.
However, there was a lot of dancing we could not shoot because it was raining and we were shooting over a waterfall. We trekked a height of 9-10 km so it was too hectic. I was also afraid that if I slip, my costume will get wet and I won’t be able to do anything about it. I couldn’t look at the camera because of the rain and there was no clarity. So my dedication and passion for my art were tested.
What would you say was your biggest learning?
The biggest learning was that your passion for your art can take over any difficulties in life. At the end of the day, people probably will never know what you’ve gone through or what the whole unit has gone through. But what will always stand the test of time is your art and that will remain immortal. So if you have done something with dedication and devotion, then the satisfaction is amazing. It could get difficult as artists, in general, are sensitive but how you navigate that is important.
What is the process of choreographing Bollywood songs?
Generally, we get a brief along the song stating what the director is looking for and what the song is all about. So keeping that in mind, we choreograph and design the steps, which also depends on the musicality of the song. We also consider what the actors can deliver, so we choreograph keeping all these parameters in mind.
For the current song I am choreographing, there is a proper dance sequence and a sequence that has more attitude and feels that everyone can deliver. My intention with the hook step is that it should be something that is massy and everyone can do it and enjoy. Even when there is not much choreography, we put montages such as the actors walking together, or doing a romantic scene. The storytelling part is also designed by the choreographer. We design it the way a director designs a scene. So it is humbling as well as challenging.
Western dance videos find a lot of popularity in India. When will Indian dance videos reach that level of popularity?
The whole audience’s space is commercial now so hip-hop is finding popularity, and Hollywood dance videos are working. Hindustani or Indian dance’s fanbase is less. The audience bank for any dance form depends on the number of people who are liking it. And the more something works, the more money will be spent behind it. It’s all about the financial dynamic at the end of the day. But there are a lot of people who are taking the Indian part ahead, and it will happen more.
Since you have been a part of dance reality shows for a long time now, what would you say has changed now?
Right now, there is a dance reality show on every channel but what has changed is, back in our days, we had to try out every dance form. From Indian to Bollywood, hip-hop and more, we were asked to do everything. Now the makers have understood that whatever style one can perform, make them do just that. Someone is good at robotics, someone at tutting, and these are very different styles which have their own structures and own limitations.
But at the end of the day, Indian audiences are Indian audiences. They want Bollywood, they want dancing, they want to see energy. So it has become a mixed bag of things I would say. And it’s good that India is progressing globally in terms of dancing and there are a lot of international styles that we do here. So I don’t think it should be a reason for complaint.
In a lot of film music and dance numbers, women are generally objectified.
I feel with the changing times, everything changes and now the makers have started to make whatever works. The kind of item numbers Helen Ji used to do, had a lot of grace, poise, passion and emotion. It never looked vulgar. Yes, there is a lot of objectifying that happens but at the same time, there is also a space where women have become very open. Nobody holds back.
Also, when men call women bold and too sexy, what is the parameter? If a man is shirtless we don’t call that sexy or bold because we are used to that. Women, on the other hand, are beautiful creations of God. She is supposed to be sexy by nature. It is feminine energy. So why are we objecting to things that are supposed to be natural? There are few people who put this conditioning in our heads. Go read the Purans, the women were incredibly sexy and bold, and they had the right to choose their husbands. I don’t get where all this is coming from.
There is a very thin line between sensuality and vulgarity. Any artists and creators should know that line.
As an independent choreographer, what were your biggest struggle and the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight was one of my songs being nominated for a Filmfare along with Ganesh Acharya’s song. I have grown up seeing his work so to be nominated with him was the biggest highlight. I did not win that award but the nomination was worth it.
The struggle, as an independent artist, is the reach and choreographers don’t get too much visibility or much credit. Your audio gets an identity when a video is attached to it, so going by that, choreographers should get that kind of visibility when the song is out.
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