He might not be at the top of the charts for Bollywood dancing, but then again, his ability to draw a crowd doesn’t seem to mind. Vindu, who has seen it up close, says the superstar can put in a performance with an unbothered kind of ease without much prep. And if he were to miss a beat? Vindu will tell you, he’d just shrug off his shirt and make it work.
Salman’s no-rehearsal confidence, explained
Having been in the room with him for films like Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, Partner and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Vindu knows a man who puts more stock in his gut than in putting in the hours. He’ll let the choreographer put on a demo, give a nod and call it a day.
Vindu would have it that this is why you won’t find Salman in any ‘best dancer’ conversations. It has nothing to do with a lack of ability. He just doesn’t put in the 20 days of hard practice some of his peers do to get a step right.
But there is another side to him, Vindu is quick to add. Put him in for 10 or 15 days of training on a number and, he is sure, you could see an actor who would leave some of the industry’s big names in the dust.
The Delhi show story that fans will quote
It was for a live in Delhi for Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, while they were also in the middle of a shoot on Madh Island. The dance master tried to put aside some time over lunch to run through things. Salman was amenable, but after one look at the full routine, he was done with it.
Vindu still can’t get over it. You are about to put on for a thousand and you have only had one pass. When Vindu put to him what happens if he forgets a move, the answer was pure, unadulterated charm: “I’ll take my shirt off.”
What choreographers saw when it mattered
Prabhudheva, the old pro, saw where the drive was coming from back in 2009 on Wanted. He has a story of Salman telling him to make the songs something special, even to “break his bones” if that was what it took to get a good dance. Don’t worry about the film, just make him move well, he said.
And the movie put out some grooves you can’t forget. With Jalwa and Love Me Love Me, you had a performer who was after the impact, not the fine print.
Why audiences respond to Salman’s dance anyway
There is a certain swagger to how he does it. Vindu’s version of events makes you see it as a different sort of talent: if you can land it with hardly any practice, you have timing and the know-how to put a move across.
Then there is the star power you can’t put a finger on. The bit about the shirt is a running joke, but it is also how he operates. A step doesn’t quite come together? He becomes the character. The audience is there for the experience, and in that, Salman is hard to fault.
Here is what is going to be talked about in the wake of Vindu’s comments:
– He is not one for rehearsing
– He can pick up a routine on the spot
– While some are at it for 20 days, he is not
– Give him 10-15 days and he is in a league of his own
– Forgets a move? The shirt comes off
Inside the on-set rhythm Vindu describes
It is as straightforward as it gets, Vindu says. Salman shows up, wants to know what he needs to do, sees the choreographer go through it and you are in business. No long wind-up, no extra preparation. He is in it for the first take.
It can be a bit of a shock for the co-actors who are used to working through the nitty-gritty. But it is the mark of someone who has the camera and the room figured out. Vindu puts it down to a good head for it and a natural way of being.
What is next for both actors
Vindu is in the thick of promoting Welcome To The Jungle at the moment. He is in no hurry to put away the stories from the set, particularly ones that have a superstar in them doing it his way.
Salman has the war drama Maatrubhumi on the horizon, an Apoorva Lakhia job from his own banner with no date on it yet. You will also catch him in Vamshi Paidipally’s upcoming project.
The bigger picture for Salman’s dance legacy
Some of it is technical, some of it is for the masses, and Salman is somewhere in between. He may not be in the studio for it, but in the end product or in front of a live crowd, he is where he wants to be. That is where being a star trumps being technically sound.
Vindu’s words ring true because they put a name to what you already see. He is not in it for the accolades. He is after the kind of moment that has everyone talking. And occasionally, a look, a hook or a bare chest is all you need for that.
