Saif Ali Khan recalls how Saroj Khan once scolded his nervous co-star to perform: ‘It’s sex! Have you never had sex?’

Saif Ali Khan has shared some anecdotes from the times he worked with Saroj Khan early in his career. Saroj Khan died on Friday at 71.

Actor Saif Ali Khan, who worked with late choreographer Saroj Khan in multiple films, has recalled how she impacted his career and the strong work ethic she had. In a statement, Saif mentioned the time they worked together on his hit song Ole Ole and the one time she coaxed expressions out of his nervous co-star with some raunchy words. Saroj died aged 71 of cardiac arrest early on Friday morning.

Saif Ali Khan worked with Saroj Khan on many films.

Saif said Saroj had a way of shaming actors into performing. “I was once shooting a lovely romantic song late at night in Hyderabad and the heroine was having a bit of trouble with the expressions. Saroj ji yelled on the mike, saying ‘sex! It’s sex! Have you never had sex?’ She could shame us into performing. A song with her often became real art, with every beat and step requiring an emotion and expression,” he said.

Saif also remembered the one time he got bloody knees while working on a song but Saroj told him to see it from a new perspective. Talking about working on the title song of Aashiq Aawaara, he said, “I finished the step and found I had torn the knees of my trousers and blood was trickling down my leg. I told Saroj ji, or masterji as I called her, and she said ‘oh don’t worry about blood. See where this blood takes you in life’. She taught me to work hard. I would turn off the set lights and wrap a mal-mal cloth around my head and rehearse her steps for hours, often without lunch, to get it right; but we were never allowed to change the step to make it easier. That was not her work ethic.”

Saif’s wife, actor Kareena Kapoor also paid tribute to Saroj Khan with an Instagram post. She mentioned how she would tell her to work with her face. “Master ji always told me... perrr nahin chala saktiii toh kam se kam face toh chalaaaaa.That’s what she taught me... to enjoy dancing, smile and smile through the eyes.There can never be another... Dance and expression can never be the same for us actors and for everyone who loved her...Love you master ji. Till we dance again... RIP #SarojKhan,” she had written in her post.

(With PTI inputs)

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