Vaibhavi Merchant, the celebrated choreographer behind Bollywood tracks like Dholi Taaro Dhol Baaje and Besharam Rang, is also the creative force behind the unforgettable chartbuster Kajra Re. Featuring Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, and Amitabh Bachchan, the song from Bunty Aur Babli became a cultural phenomenon. Now, in an interview with Screen, Vaibhavi has revisited the memories from the set.

Vaibhavi Merchant on filming Kajra Re

Vaibhavi recalled choreographing the first song featuring the father-son duo, Amitabh and Abhishek, and said, “Abhishek was quite nervous. But I told him not to worry, and that I’d balance it out well. When Mr. Bachchan is on set, he’s not a father. There are no personal equations coming in the way. He’s a thorough professional. He’d remain in character. He’d even appreciate the costume designer for giving nice costumes to the back dancers. Meanwhile, Abhishek is a different temperament on set. He’s all about fun and pranks.”

Vaibhavi revealed that when Aditya Chopra informed her that the lead of the song would be Aishwarya, she felt life had come full circle because she had earlier worked with the actor in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Kuch Naa Kaho, Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... and more. However, Vaibhavi recalled Aishwarya being doubtful about whether she could pull Kajra Re off, as she had not done anything like it before.

How Aishwarya-Abhishek’s marriage was an outcome of Kajra Re

When asked if she gave herself some credit after Aishwarya and Abhishek tied the knot a few years after the song’s shoot, Vaibhavi replied, “This is my story with a lot of actors, who start out as friends and turn into lovers on my set. I’m happy these divine interventions do happen, and I get to be a part of them. Sometimes, I could even write a book on this (laughs). But obviously, nobody thought of it then. I never imagined this as the outcome of that moment. They were all thorough professionals.”

For the unversed, Kajra Re was a song from the film Bunty Aur Babli, which also featured Rani Mukerji. The track was composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, sung by Alisha Chinai, and written by Gulzar. The film was released in 2005 and became a hit, with Kajra Re becoming a chartbuster. Just two years later, in 2007, Aishwarya and Abhishek tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony. The couple are now parents to a daughter, Aaradhya.

 Source: Hindustan Times