Jackie Shroff recalls first dance sequence in ‘Hero’ with Meenakshi Seshadri, Saroj Khan and Subhash Ghai: ‘Sarojji would say Dev Saab’s sixth child, don’t move your head, then Subhashji would say move it’ |
Jackie Shroff has recalled how his astrologer father predicted that he would become an actor years before he had considered a career in films. During the finale shoot of India’s Best Dancer 5, the veteran actor also revisited his first dance sequence in ‘Hero’ (1983), sharing how his lack of formal dance training ultimately helped him approach the character naturally.
Jackie Shroff recalls father predicting his acting career
According to Mid-day, Jackie Shroff looked back on the prediction that eventually became a reality during the shoot of the ‘India’s Best Dancer 5’ finale. The actor recalled that after completing Grade 11, he was preparing to take up a job rather than pursue acting. His father, however, believed that his future lay elsewhere.“My father didn’t speak much. He was focused on his work, and he had some good clients. He predicted my future as well. He told me, ‘Son, you will become an actor.’ And his astrological prediction turned out accurate in my case,” Shroff shared.
Jackie Shroff remembers his first dance sequence in Subhash Ghai ‘s ‘Hero’
The actor also revisited his experience of shooting the title track of ‘Hero’, his 1983 film with Meenakshi Seshadri. The song, ‘Apni Taqdeer Toh Hero Hai’, marked one of Shroff’s earliest experiences with a major dance sequence. Unlike Seshadri, who had formal dance training, Shroff did not have the same background and had to navigate the demands of the shoot in his own way. Shroff particularly remembered receiving conflicting instructions from director Subhash Ghai and choreographer Saroj Khan.“The camera was behind me, and there were 12 reflectors shining on my face. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. So Sarojji would always say, ‘Hey, open your eyes’, while Subhashji would say, ‘Don’t open them’,” Shroff recalled.Shroff then described how he tried to balance the two sets of instructions while performing in front of the camera.“So while trying to balance between the two, I would move my head, and then Sarojji would say, ‘Hey, Dev Saab’s sixth child, don’t move your head.’ Then Subhashji would say, ‘Move it’,” he reminisced.
Jackie Shroff says lack of dance training helped him in Hero
Rather than viewing his lack of formal dance training as a disadvantage, Shroff believes it ultimately helped him portray the character. His co-star Meenakshi Seshadri was a trained dancer and could execute the choreography with considerable ease. Shroff, meanwhile, focused on inhabiting the character rather than attempting to match her technical dance ability.
Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Seshadri worked together in several films
Hero marked the beginning of Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Seshadri’s on-screen association. The pair subsequently appeared together in several films. Their collaborations include, ‘Hero’ in 1983, ‘Paisa Yeh Paisa’ and ‘Mera Jawab’ in 1985′, ‘Dahleez’ and ‘Allah Rakha’ in 1986 and ‘Akayla’ in 1991.
Jackie Shroff’s work slate
On the work front, Jackie Shroff was seen in ‘Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart (Hridayam)’ as a priest, as Jagdish Chandra in ‘The Great Grand Superhero’ and as Zatara in ‘Welcome to the Jungle’.
