EXCLUSIVE: 'Muje mere bachpan ki yaad dila di'; Delnaaz Iraani recalls WHY Saroj Khan told her this during Nach Baliye

While exclusively speaking to Pinkvilla, Delnaaz Irani recalled memories of shooting with late choreographer Saroj Khan during Nach Baliye and shared an anecdote.

Published on Nov 27, 2024  |  10:31 PM IST |  23.7K
Delnaaz Irani
Pic Credit: Delnaaz Irani Instagram, IMDB

Saroj Khan was the industry's most respected, renowned and versatile choreographer who won several awards for her contribution to the showbiz world. She choreographed over 2000 songs, and worked in the industry for almost six decades with a lot of TV and Bollywood actors. Actress Delnaaz Irani, who had the opportunity to work with her multiple times, revealed how Saroj Khan told her that she reminded the late choreographer of her childhood. 

In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Delnaaz Irani reminisced working with Saroj Khan during the shoot of Nach Baliye. She shared, "I have had a very long association with Saroj Ji in terms of the very first reality show, probably India's first-ever reality dance show, was Nach Baliye back then in 2004-2005. Saroj Ji was the judge then, alongside Farhan Akhtar and Malaika Arora. That's when I got to know her."

In the first episode of Nach Baliye, Delnaaz was showered with praises from Saroj Khan. She revealed, "In the very first episode, she whistled for me and praised me to the point that she even said, ‘You are my mini-me. You are a mini Saroj.’ That's what she had told me at that time."

The Nach Baliye fame recalled, "She was one of the first female choreographers of her time, and she shared stories about how the industry was back then. She was very fond of me, maybe because of my weight, my size, and my personality. I think she saw herself in me, and she actually said that in the very first episode of Nach Baliye: ‘Mujhe mere bachpan ki yaad dila di.’ I don't remember the exact words, but she said I reminded her of her younger self. These were the compliments I used to get from Saroj Ji, which was a big thing for me."

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Remembering her first dance in front of the late choreographer, Delnaaz shared it was on the song It’s the Time to Disco. For her energy, dance moves, and grace, she received applause from Khan. 

The Bigg Boss 6 fame revealed, "Saroj Ji was a choreographer who always believed that dance is an emotion. She wanted facial expressions to be just right and perfect. She taught everyone that dancing is supposed to be done through your eyes. If your facial expressions are right, I won't even see your whole self; I’ll just look at your face. That’s what she always told all the choreographers, dancers, and performers."

Talking about her interaction on the sets of Nach Baliye, the Kal Ho Naa Ho actress said that as actors who were attempting to dance, Saroj Khan taught them a lot. "It was such a huge platform at that time, and she used to tell us stories about her journey: how she started as a dancer, became a choreographer, and faced challenges," she said.

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Speaking about Delnaaz Irani, the actress has proved her amazing acting mettle in several hit Television shows such as Yes Boss, Shararat, Nach Baliye 1, Bigg Boss 6 and more.

ALSO READ: Kal Ho Naa Ho EXCLUSIVE: Delnaaz Irani recalls not receiving call for 20-25 days after auditioning for her role in Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta starrer

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A TV writer with five years of experience in Indian drama and reality shows. With a bachelor's

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