#HappyBirthdayKingKhan: Vaibhavi Merchant and Ganesh Hegde share experience of working with the superstar

Vaibhavi Merchant: SRK is aware of his pluses and minuses as a dancer

The first time I worked with Shah Rukh Khan, I was as an assistant to Chinni Prakash for the 'Jai Ma Kali' song from Karan Arjun. What struck me about him was he is extremely focused, dedicated and has a dogged determination. Even in an ensemble cast, he stood out. He is a thorough professional and a lot of fun at the same time.

Since then I have choreographed him for several films in the last two decades. For me, he was this phenomena from Fauji. I was very fond of Abhimanyu Rai, the role he played in the serial. From his unkempt look, cockiness in the serial to the suave stylish gentleman that he is on the sets. He is extremely charming and treats every person equally. And if you are a female technician he puts you absolutely at ease, is considerate of your time and treats you like a lady. He is chivalrous and it’s a great feeling to be around him, especially in the profession I am dealing with. From being a heartthrob of Fauji, he became a friend eventually.

As a dancer, he is aware of his pluses and minuses. Farah Khan has a lot to do with what he is today as a dancer. They share a funny and cute relationship. They have a great body of work together. So, for me it was a challenge when I choreographed him. When we did the song 'Ishq Shava' for Jab Take Hai Jaan he told me the last time he rehearsed so much was for a song from Baazigar. When Farah called and complimented for the SRK-Katrina Kaif dance I felt very happy.

The thing about SRK is he works hard, is extremely open and doesn’t come with a prejudiced mind, which means you can mould him. What I do is cater to his style of performing, and interpreting. He is an actor first and he understands the character. The way he dances he brings the character to the fore. Sometimes an actor may be a great dancer but doesn’t perform as per the character. At times, an actor is not a gifted dancer. As a choreographer, I have to strike that balance. And SRK has his signature moves — the opening of his arms, a little smirk in his smile, the way he crinkles his eyes, — he is the king of the romance.

In the upcoming Fan, I have done an entertaining sequence, something I have never done before. What Shah Rukh has done is very endearing. So, it’s been a great journey with the superstar.

Ganesh Hegde: SRK comes up with quirky stuff

It was in 1998 that I choreographed Shah Rukh Khan for the first time when we started doing shows. Eventually, I worked with him on film songs. Shah Rukh is very intelligent and likes to surprise people with something that he has never done before. He is open to ideas.  

For shows, he comes up with interesting concepts like calling people on stage, interacting with them and making them laugh — he has a great sense of humour. He comes up with some quirky stuff. I remember for a wedding concert, there was this guy who was a fan of SRK. He was Sindhi, so SRK told him to say a dialogue from his film in Sindhi. It was so entertaining and the best thing is Shah Rukh does a lot of this impromptu.   

As a dancer, I choreograph according to his plus points and don’t go into technical intricacies. He is powerhouse performer with a cool quotient. In RA.One when I made him do the ‘booty’ step for 'Criminal'  he was very enthusiastic. In 'Chammak Challo' I made him do bharatnatyam and he was very kicked up about it. He also did the anti-gravity step with me in the music video 'Sharaabi' (Happy New Year). Very few guys can pull this off and SRK did it despite his shoulder and knee problems. He takes the extra pain and gives the best shot and if the camera hasn’t captured it he has no qualms doing it repeatedly. He is an inspiration for all us — the way he conducts himself, and his respect for women — he is completely endearing.