Matching steps

It takes little effort to get Pappu and Malu to dance. The terrace of their Andheri rehearsal hall is the venue. They don.t care about the heat and pay little attention to curious neighbours from other high-rises. This is, after all, Bollywood.s version of salsa.

The eagerness to please is understandable. The duo has just finished choreographing two songs for this year.s most eagerly awaited Hindi film, Sanjay Leela Bhansali.s Saawariya. .One of the songs is a solo, which has been picturised on Ranbir Kapoor. The other one features both him and Sonam Kapoor,. says Pappu, aka Zahur Sheikh. .We.ll be choreographing one more song in the film,. he adds. Two of the songs were recently shot at Film City and Mehboob studios.

The mind goes into a playback of Devdas, or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Bhansali is known for picturising the most beautiful songs in Bollywood, with lavish sets, opulent costumes and melodious music. This couple (they.re just friends though) directed .Chhalak chhalak.... and .More piya.... from Devdas.

Apart from Devdas, that also earned them a National Award nomination, the choreographers do not have many successful movies to boast of (Meenaxi, Bardasht and Footpath).

.Devdas was a pleasant surprise for us. Sanjayji was a judge at a show where we had choreographed for Malaika Arora. He liked the song we had done immensely and we bagged the film,. says Malu, born Kavita Gandhi. When we urge them to show us some steps from Saawariya, they refuse to oblige. .You won.t be disappointed once the promos go on,. adds Pappu diplomatically.

But they are full of praises for debutants Sonam and Ranbir. .Sonam is a trained classical dancer. Both she and Ranbir are so confident that, we often forget that Saawariya is their debut,. he says. Work at Bhansali.s camp also has its fair share of magic moments. .Once, while the music was playing and we were getting the actors. steps correct, Sanjayji suddenly broke into a jig. He, after all, is a trained Odissi dancer,. laughs Pappu.

The Saawariya high is yet to be over, but the duo has their hands full with a music video for item bomb Rakhi Sawant. .She.s looking very classy,. promises Malu.