Saroj Khan Saved Madhuri Dixit's Song, 'Dhak Dhak' From Cuts, The Censor Board Deemed It Provocative

Ace choreographer, Saroj Khan is touted among the most talented dance gurus in Bollywood. She started her career in Bollywood at a young age and worked as a child artist in the '50s. Over the years, she trained several leading actresses, including Juhi Chawla, Raveena Tandon, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai and Sridevi, in her four-decade-long career. Saroj Khan worked on some of the most memorable songs with the actresses of various generations.

Saroj Khan's choreography for 'Dhak Dhak' was deemed inappropriate

While Saroj Khan has worked in Hindi cinema and the South Indian film industry, her collaboration with Madhuri Dixit was the most successful. She composed dance moves for Madhuri in many films, including the song, Dhak Dhak, from the film, Beta. The song, which also featured Anil Kapoor, gave Madhuri the ‘Dhak Dhak girl’ title. However, not many know that the Central Board of Film Certification deemed the dance steps in the songs to be inappropriate for the audience back then.

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When Saroj Khan saved 'Dhak Dhak' song from cuts

In a documentary titled The Saroj Khan Story, made by The Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT) in 2012, Saroj Khan recalled the incident when the CBFC members wanted to cut down a few scenes from the song, as they had a problem with the dance steps. The choreographer shared that the producer and director were petrified, so they called her to help them out. She said:

“They (CBFC) wanted to cut down the whole mukhda of the song. So they (producer, director) were petrified. They said ‘come along with us. See what they are saying, whether you can help us. So, I went.” 

Saroj Khan taught the CBFC board members a lesson with her wit

The choreographer further shared that she gave a practical example to a lady who was among the board members sitting there. Saroj recalled that the lady, who was Sindhi and was wearing a saree and high heels, told her that she didn't like the fact that Madhuri was shaking her chest deliberately. So, the choreographer asked her to get up and walk. In her words:

“There was a lady over there. She was Sindhi and dressed in a saree and high heels. She told me, ‘You are shaking the chest deliberately. We don’t like that’. So I said, ‘Yes. Ma’am just get up.’ She asked why, and I said ‘I just want to show you something’. She got up and I asked her to walk.”

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While the lady was left confused initially, she listened to Saroj and started walking. Then, the choreographer mentioned how the hip movement automatically goes upwards when one is wearing high heels. She added that since the song required Madhuri to shake her chest to show the Dhak Dhak movement of the heart, the choreography had to be done in such a way. She was quoted as saying:

“When you are wearing high heels, your hip movement automatically goes upwards, whether you like it or not, because you are balancing yourself. I told her ‘Now you are shaking deliberately? I have to shake the body to show that I am dancing, and she (Madhuri’s character) says Dhak Dhak. From where will that sound come? From the heart. And where is the heart? Near my bust line, so I have to show Dhak Dhak (enacts the step). She was convinced and she let us go ahead.”

For the unversed, Saroj Khan passed away on July 3, 2020, due to a cardiac arrest.

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