Salman Khan changed my life: Mudassar Khan

Choreographer Mudassar Khan on Salman Khan, his new telly outing and more in a chat with TOI

Mudassar Khan who choreographed Dhinka Chika (Ready), Chalao Na Naino Se (Bol Bachchan) and Party All Night (Boss), has just turned mentor and judge for Dance India Dance Season 4. In Ahmedabad for a promotional tour, TOI caught him in an animated mood.

Mudassar says, "People laughed at me when I first danced at a family ceremony in Lucknow. That's when I decided that I had to learn how to dance well. I joined a dance academy in Mumbai because I realized one cannot succeed now without formal training. I struggled a lot initially. For seven years I taught dancing in schools from morning till late night."

He adds, "There was a promotion activity of Wanted in a mall and several teams were competing for the best dance performance. Salman Khan and Prabhu Dheva had declared that the team which won would get a chance to work with them. I went with my team because I am a huge fan of Prabhu Dheva. Luckily, our team won and Salman wanted to meet the choreographer. I went to his place and met him; there was no looking back after that. Now I'm also a big fan of Salman because he's changed my life."

Talking about a new team of judges being in place of Remo D'Souza, Geeta Kapur and Terence Lewis, Mudassar says, "They started with the first season of the show and each year they raised the bar. For us, it is not just about choreography, but also about our personality. They did a great job, we are carrying the legacy forward."

On the reach of television, he says, "People did know me before but they were someone who were associated with dance and the film industry. After the promos of DID 4 went on air, everybody knows me. But after a stage show in Hyderabad with Salman, where I was mobbed by thousands, I sometimes feel it is better if people don't recognize me. I like to roam around on my bike and I've also had someone tell me, 'Aap school me hai? Aapke jaisa hi ek banda TV pe aata hai.' I say 'yes' and move on."

Given his good looks and the funny acts he puts up repeatedly, we ask him if he has thought about becoming an actor. Mudassar says, "I did think about it and even got offers for commercials. But I want to concentrate on dance right now."

Talking about his future projects, Mudassar says, "Right now I want to concentrate on this show. I am also doing the choreography of Salman's next and Salim-Suleiman's album. I stay in a mohalla and hardly get to sleep. Even in the middle of the night I have people stand outside the window and shout - 'ae judge o judge' to harass me. But I have learnt to ignore them. I also have some family issues which I have to solve, and then I'll do other things."