Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan recently visited singer Shaan’s residence, where they reminisced about their early days in Bollywood. Their paths first crossed on the sets of “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar” (1992), a film that significantly impacted Farah’s career.
Farah initially joined “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar” as an assistant director but soon took on the choreographer role and even performed as a background dancer when needed. Despite her considerable efforts, she humorously noted that she was never compensated for her work on the film.
Recalling their experiences, Farah stated, “The first movie Shaan ever did was Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.” Shaan, who played a saxophonist, added, “Yes, I was there with a saxophone!” In response, Farah mentioned, “And I was a junior dancer there.”
Farah also shared an interesting incident involving Deepak Tijori, explaining that she had to fill in for a dancer who refused to participate. “There’s even a scene where Deepak Tijori kisses my cheek – the girl who was supposed to do it refused, so they sent me in instead,” she recounted.
Shaan contributed his own memories to the discussion, highlighting that, after four days of shooting, he appeared only briefly in a medley of songs. Farah recalled, “I think it was a Jatin song — I was the choreographer. The makers were so broke that they simply pushed Jatin into the song too!”
The atmosphere turned nostalgic when the pair spontaneously danced to Jatin’s track “Deewane Hum Pyaar Ke” from the film. Shaan disclosed his earnings during that time, stating, “I received Rs 150 per day for four days, while others got Rs 75.” Farah, taken aback, said, “You got paid? I was never paid! But honestly, what that film did for me was worth more than any payment.”
