Sushant Singh Rajput - Kai Po Che! - Page 10

1:06 PM - 18 May 12 via web Details

Says young choreographer Mansi Agarwal in an interview with TOI

She's in news for her much talked about song bharat mata ki jai in Shanghai. Delhi based dancer choreographer Mansi Agarwal is now busy doing choreography for Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che. She was in Ahmedabad for the shooting. Mansi has been learning Kathak for many years. Talking about her foray into films, she tells, "I belong to the Jaipur gharana. At a performance in Delhi, Anurag Kashyap first noticed me. I then did it choreography for Gulal and Dev D. However, Dev D was released first."

How easy was it for her to move from the world of classical dance to the glitz and glamor world of films? She says, "It has been smooth and nice. Gulal was not your typical masala film.The story had a political touch and that made it really challenging to work. I did research to understand the context and took help from lyricist Piyush Mishra." She adds, "I have enjoyed working with Anurag Kashyap. There is enough freedom to work on one's vision. I also enjoyed doing the Bharat mata Ki Jai song. The song has become quite popular. It's a very nice feeling when the song becomes a hit." Ask her about what makes a song click so far as choreography is concerned? "I feel there has to be a sense of synchronization. You can't make an actor do steps which just don't go with the character he's playing in the film," she says.

Mansi feels that now songs have become prominent in the promotion of films. She says, "As Indians we connect to dance and songs. Filmakers and production houses have realised the importance of songs even while promoting a film. A nice song captures immediate attention."

Ask her about the changing perception about dance in India now and she says, "Today dance is being looked at as a viable career option. A number of dance based reality shows on television have generated much interest in dance. But one needs to do lot of hard work. Television is a wonderful stepping stone to start your journey in the entertainment world. Reality shows definitely give you your share of 15 minutes fame. But you need patience and talent to make it big in this industry."

Does she think that learning kathak has helped her in adding finer nuances to her film choreography? "Yes. Kathak has given me a sense of beat and rhythm. Being a trained dancer helps me in understanding visual elements of songs too," says Mansi who loves to paint and write poetry.

Ask her whom she would see dance to her rhythm? She says, " Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor. I also love the way Farhan Akhtar dances. He's natural." Among the actresses, she finds Madhuri Dixit Nene and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan really gifted dancers. She also finds Parineeti Chopra quite talented.

Her all time favourite song is Dola Re Dola from Devdas. "From a choreographer's point of view, the song was a real delight. I love Prabhu Deva and Vaibhavi Merchant's work. For any choreographer, Farah Khan's song Pehla Nasha is always an inspiration."

Mansi is also writing a film script and she clarifies, "No, the story is not about dance or dancers."