Couldn’t meet MJ, but Indian choreographer makes Jermaine dance

NEW DELHI - Bollywood choreographer Remo D’souza had always dreamt of meeting his idol Michael Jackson, but his wish remained unfulfilled due to the singer’s death. The dance master is nonetheless excited that he made the king of pop’s brother Jermaine dance to his steps.

“‘I can’t dance like MJ’, Jermaine told me when I first met him for the dance rehearsal,” Remo told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

“I knew no one can be better than Michael Jackson, but Jermaine is very dedicated and a good learner. He used to rehearse till he could perfect the step. On the personal level, he is a very down- to-earth person,” he added.

Jermaine, singer and elder brother of Michael Jackson, is in India to shoot for a song with Pakistani singer Adnan Sami. The song is Jermaine’s tribute to all Jackson fans in the country. It is titled “Go to Mumbai City” and is being choreographed by Remo.

Asked about the treatment he has given to the song, Remo said: “It’s a song on Mumbai; so we haven’t shot at a particular place. It’s more of moving around and covering the major landmarks of the city.”

“In between, I have incorporated a few steps that were suitable. I have tried to make it as Indian as possible,” said the 35-year-old.

The album is being produced by T-Series. And in the video, Jermaine will be wearing a suave khadi jacket, while Adnan would be seen in a kurta.

Remo, who has done the choreography for films like “Wake up Sid”, “Do Knot Disturb” and “London Dreams” among others, had turned director with Bengali film “Lal Paharer Katha”. He now plans to wield the megaphone for the Bollywood film “Faltu”.

So why this shift from dance to direction?

“Direction was always in my mind. I knew that one day I will turn to direction. I was just preparing myself, the reason why I did a Bengali film was to get the confidence before getting into mainstream cinema,” he said.

“While choreographing songs and shooting them, you get to learn various nuances of direction. Different angles and movements teach you a lot. So after directing the dance for so many songs, I got to learn a lot about direction,” explained Remo, whose directorial debut will go on floors in November.

The comedy, which will star Jackky Bhagnani, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor in pivotal roles, is a college film.

Remo says that Jackky is apt for the role even though he is a newcomer.

“A film cannot run only on the basis of stars. It is important that the actors suit the character. Also I’m of the belief that the script is the hero. If your content is strong, your film will do well,” said Remo.

(Ruchika Kher can be contacted at ruchika.k@ians.in)