Your moves for Dhoom:3 have been grabbing eyeballs...

The Dhoom franchise has grown. From the time I started working in Dhoom: 3, the pressure was high since we knew what we had done in Dhoom and Dhoom: 2. I had worked with Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya) during Tashan. I had a rapport with him. A lot of research was required. The Malang song (with Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif) took me four months. The song is a visual treat. For the songs of Dhoom: 3, I have done things that I do for my musicals. We wanted to give the songs a universal appeal. Each song is different from the other. People who have worked in Happy Feet were flown down for the tap dance number!

There are some similarities between Dhoom:3’s Kamli and Dhoom:2’s Crazy kiye re...

I have choreographed both so I have no qualms! (Laughs) Ash’s (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) Crazy kiya re was a nightclub song. Katrina in Kamli is giving an audition to Aamir’s character. The only common factor is that both are Dhoom girls. But they are dancing in two different scenarios and in two different styles. I hope that the Dhoom:3 songs create a trend again. In Bollywood choreography, there was a phase when it was very artistic and then came a phase where it became commercial. The effort now should be to bring choreography back as a craft.

You have an enviable CV: you have worked with all the three Khans in the span of just one year!

(Laughs) Yes, the last two years were extremely busy. It started with Ek Tha Tiger with Salman Khan, then we did Jab Tak Hai Jaan with Shah Rukh Khan, followed by Dhoom: 3 with Aamir. Literally, I have spent my last two years with these three lovely and beautiful individual Khans, if I can say so.

Among the three, who’s the most fun to work with?

All of them are strong individuals. They are easy to work with. They belong to a generation that thinks differently. They are very receptive and respectful. Salman... you need to

inspire him to dance his best. And if he likes it, he is someone who justifies it. With Salman you have to be a little more relaxed so that he feels comfortable. Shah Rukh was very keen on dancing to the Ishq shava number in Jab Tak Hain Jaan. He worked so hard. He rehearsed after a long time. Usually they land up on the set and do it. With SRK, it is always great energy and we have a lot of fun on the sets. Aamir is very meticulous and passionate about his job. I am also like him. Before anybody asks me, I make sure I have answers to everyone’s questions. With Aamir, you have to be 10 steps ahead to walk with him!

What are you working on next?

I am working in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s untitled next. I am hoping to do something on television. The last time I did something on TV was in 2011 (Just Dance on STAR Plus). But I got busy after that. Some offers have come in. I want to change the format of the existing dance reality shows.

Ratnalekha Mazumdar

Which is your favourite dance number from Dhoom:3? Tell t2@abp.in