Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
`Reality shows are just a phase'
PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU
They have set the nation grooving. Ravi Bahl and Naved Jaffery have directed and produced the mother of all dance shows `Boogie Woogie.' One of the reasons for the show's long lasting (nine years!) success was the wacky camaraderie the two share. Busy with the new show on Star Plus `Kaboom,' the duo chat about dance, music, masti and movies in a Take Two.
Mini Anthikad-Chhibber tries to keep in step with the rapid-fire conversation.
Ravi Bahl (barely able to conceal his glee): You know we can talk about anything — even gaalis!
Naved Jaffery: No, no, let's do this right. Let's start at the very beginning. We know each other for 27 years.
Ravi: Say 22 years.
Naved: Why?
Ravi: Then it would be less by five years! So we would not sound too old you know. Anyway, I guess it's not a problem because I am anyway five years younger than you.
Naved: It was when we were in seventh standard, right? In the lunch break I was eating ragda pav. You offered to buy me another plate of ragda and I thought ki yeh maaldaar party hai (he is loaded) aur bas ho gayee dosti (that's how we became friends).
Ravi: I think you befriended me because I knew karate and you were thin and puny and needed protection.
Naved: You bought me ragda pav and in return took away all my comics. I invited you home to see my nun chaku and you stole all my comics. I am sure you sold them all and bought me ragda pav with that money. Har chori ki ek pahel hoti hai.
Ravi: I was just waiting for that! You talk of chori and pahel. Chori jab Bahl kare to chori nahin hota! (When Bahl does the stealing, it is not stealing).
Naved: I think now we are at a stage when we cannot make new friends.
Ravi: Now it is tough.
Naved: Our common circle of friends makes for chill out junction.
Ravi: To continue down memory lane, do you remember how Boogie Woogie came about?
Naved: Yeah, you, Jaaved (Jaffery) and I were generally sitting around and realised while there are lots of shows for singers, there is nothing for dancers.
Ravi: And you thought of the name from that popular English song. We started on a humble note.
Naved: Humble is my middle name.
Ravi: I am the boss, the king of the world. So, let's talk about
Kaboom, which is bigger, fifty lakhs bigger.
Naved: One crore bigger. I wish I could compete.
Ravi: You would not even qualify.
Naved: What do you think of all these reality shows?
Ravi: I think it is a phase.
Naved: And do our shows qualify as reality shows?
Ravi: I would define them as a dance competition with a touch of reality.
Naved: You know we did not have a platform so the levels of creativity were much higher. Now I feel creativity has gone down.
Ravi: That is true but Nature has a way of surprising us with some phenomenal talent.
Naved: We usually agree on judging, no? Sometimes we have gone back to the monitor room to cross check.
Ravi: You have to. I am the boss remember?
Naved: You are the loss!
Ravi: I'll let that pass. Hey, have you ever felt there was a song that you could have choreographed better?
Naved: Sometimes, and then, when I see Saroj Khan's work like in Devdas and in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Prabhudeva's work I know for sure that no one else could have done that kind of work.
Ravi: All these remix videos are getting too westernised.
Naved: There is nothing wrong in being westernised. Only, it should be done right.
What about directing a film?
Ravi: Definitely. But we will not direct together. There will be just too many fights.
Naved: It all boils down to the team.
Ravi: It is a collective effort. I do not believe in biting off more than I can chew and as of now Kaboom is a big bite and I am loving it.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
