Choreography, direction, production — REMO D’SOUZA has mastered it all. He talks to PRAKRITI ROY about his beginning with dance, struggles & goals, as also his upcoming films and Season 2 of Dance+
Remo D’Souza has been a part of the film industry for almost two decades now. The man who started as a background dancer forRangeela in 1995 recently won the National Award for his choreography of the song Deewani mastani from the film Bajirao Mastani. The ace dance guru has a lot on his plate right now, what with Dance+ Season 2 starting from July 2, 2016 and his film projects happening simultaneously. But he is not complaining because he says, “Dance is my life. Woh hai toh main hoon. It’s as important to me as breathing.”
Remo recalls his first ever audition for a background dance that became a life-changing moment. “I auditioned for Rangeela. They wanted 50 dancers and about 250 people turned up. They made their choice without even seeing me dance because of my looks. I was very thin, very dark and didn’t have good clothes. Ab AC mein rehke achha dikhne laga hun! That is the moment I will never forget. I requested them not to reject me on my looks. Finally they saw me dance and I got selected,” he reminisces.
At that point in his life, his only dream was “kuch toh banna hai”. Now, that he has been recognised for his work with the highest honour India has to offer, he feels, “That dream is back now. National Award mila hai. I will work harder to prove that I deserve this and more. It’s still the same feeling.”
For Remo, music and dance are incomplete without each other. “They have such a positive effect on you. Whenever I hear music, I am at peace. I feel a vibe and the moves come to me automatically. like when you do Kathak, the taal-mel between the music and feet is the perfect dance combo.”
During his struggle days, Remo shares, he had an experience that reinforced his belief in dance. He taught at Maa Kali Ashram in Mumbai’s Andheri to earn a living when he didn’t have films. A special child came to him to learn dance as a therapy. “The way he learnt from me despite his physical problem was very special and an eye-opener. That experience has left a deep impact on me,” he tells you.
With his Deewani mastani choreography and the accolades he won for it, Remo has silenced all who associated him only with western dance styles. In fact, he tells you that Indian styles are superior as it involves “using your body, face and expressions”. He agrees that in India, traditional styles are being overshadowed by western styles. “The biggest example of this is my Bengali film on the martial folk dance — chhau. I made the film in 2008 and it has still not been released. This year, I will try to release it. I have a feeling I can do it now,” he says. But he also believes in bringing other dance styles to India. “I would love to make a film on ballet. People would be encouraged to learn it from a very small age,” he says.
Despite his own expertise in various dance forms, Remo doesn’t believe that it’s all about versatility. “Through Dance+, we want to break that perception and let the contestants do what they are good at. In the process,
I also learn. There are dancers coming with forms I’ve never even heard of like Ghetto and Dance Hall,” he says. Dance styles are not the only new thing that one will see on Dance+ 2. Super Judge Remo will also be seen hosting some episodes along with Raghav Juyal. “Raghav is very funny. Standing with him and hosting will be a challenge. He doesn’t listen to me, he’s like a naughty kid. But he is a bit afraid of me as well. We share a great rapport, so it should be fun,” he elaborates.
The choreographer, who has two sons aged 12 and 15 years-old, tells you that neither of his sons are interested in dancing. While one wants to be an author, the other wants to play football. Remo himself, however, knew at a young age that he had to be a dancer. He shares, “I used to live in Jamanagar, Gujarat. That time, there was no cable, only video cassettes available for rent. I saw the video of Michael Jackson’s Thriller at a friend’s place and couldn’t believe how could anyone move like that! I managed to collect Rs25 and rented the cassette. That is where I learnt my first dance steps from.”
For now, Remo is also producing a film starring Shakti Mohan (a captain on Dance+) and Salman Yusuf Khan. The film is the fulfillment of a promise made to both the dancers during Dance India Dance2. He is also directing a film that will star Ajay Devgn. “I have made everyone dance, except Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. So that is still on the bucket list. As for Ajay, that will be my test as a choreographer,” says the dnce master who has been lucky till now to get actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone who are good dancers.
There are hundreds like Remo who dream of making it big as a dancer. Remo’s advises: “Believe in yourself. Unless you do that, why will anyone believe in youIJ Work hard. Most important is to have patience.”