SS Rajamouli’s Magnum opus RRR has made the country proud by winning the Golden Globes and scoring a nomination for Oscars under the Best Original Song category for its foot-tapping number Naatu Naatu that has made its way into everyone’s playlist not only in India but across the world. Since the Oscars are approaching in a few days and everyone is waiting with bated breaths for the song to score big, Prem Rakshit who choreographed the dance steps recalled his association with SS Rajamouli and how he became a choreographer for all the big hits.
Prem Rakshit shared with Rediff, “When I first came to Hyderabad, I don’t know anyone. I joined a (dance) class and coached students. My monthly salary was Rs 5,000, and I would send Rs 4,000 to my family, who lived in Chennai: My parents and my brother, who is deaf and dumb. The classes shut down, so I started giving home tuition. I had three students — one is Kala Bhairava (who is a singer today), Rajamouli’s son Karthikeya and Simha (he is an actor now). This is in 2003, so they were about 10-12 years old then. I did not tell them I was a movie choreographer because I thought that if they know that, they will not hire me because they have a lot of respect for choreographers.”
He further narrated, “The classes would be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and those would be the only days when I would get food because I did not have sufficient money. Rajamouli’s wife Rama ma’am would call me and say, ‘Master, come and have your dosas.’ I would go and quickly take five-six dosas and then the next day, there would be no food. This went on for a while.Once I was taking classes in Rajamouli sir’s home and I could hear music from the floor above. They were playing a film song that I had just choreographed. Someone told me that sir was looking for the choreographer for that song. So I ran up, and told him I had choreographed that song. He was shocked.
‘Then why are you coming to my house for classes?’ he asked. I told him I needed the money. He immediately gave me the Gala Gala Gala song from his next film Chatrapathi.
The reason I call him a guru is that while I composed the dance movements, I did not know about photography and camera angles. He taught me everything. From a home tuition master, he has brought me to where I am today. I have choreographed his films like Magadheera, Baahubali, RRR…”
Prem Rakshit also revealed the challenges of filming the song after the Covid-19 pandemic. The choreographer stated, “This song was shot after COVID. Actually, my wife Rajalakshmi got a problem with her eyes after COVID. One of her eyes lost its sight. We had to go to Ukraine to shoot the song, so M M Keeravaani’s wife (M M Srivalli) told me, ‘Don’t worry about her.’
She took care of my wife. When I went to Ukraine, on the second day, I got a call from my wife, saying she lost sight in her second eye too. My brain stopped functioning. If you see the making-of video, you’ll see that I’m looking very disturbed with my white hair!I was very emotional because I love my wife. There was so much pressure, but I continued shooting. After I came back, she got steroids in her eyes and all that, she can see now, thank God. My son Parikshith was only 12 years old then.”
Sung by Rahul Sipligunj, Kala Bhairawa and composed by M.M Keeravani, the foot tapping number has made it to everyone’s playlist and has left an everlasting mark in the global scenario. While the peppy song has compelled the entire world to groove to the musical masterpiece, several celebrities irrespective of the industry they hail from have attempted the hook step of the globally loved song.
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