One of our finest actors has a challenge before him. He has to match steps with Tiger Shroff. How will he do it?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tiger Shroff
Choreographer Ganesh Acharya bellows an instruction on the mic while director Sabbir Khan and producer Viki Rajani watch keenly as a dance sequence plays out in front of them.
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At Imperial Palace in a corner of Goregaon’s Aarey Colony, the 'Munna Michael' unit is shooting for a dance song called Swag. It features an unusual pair attempting to match steps — actors Tiger Shroff and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The latter, who we’ve rarely seen dance, is a stellar performer, but dance is something he has rarely attempted on screen. The two are prepping for, no less, a dance-off.
In a large hall is an ornate, rotating mirror, which shows off Tiger’s buttery moonwalking and Nawaz’s tripping.
“We have been shooting for the last two days and Nawaz’s sincerity has blown us away. Of course, we can’t help but have our share of laughs when he gets a step wrong,” says Sabbir.
A “no cameras, please” policy on set means there will be no evidence of the drama.
Nawaz calls for a break, and walks towards us. We notice his chiselled face. He says it’s the result of hours of running. “I am having so much fun shooting for this [film]. I play a hotel owner who befriends Tiger’s character, who is a Michael Jackson devotee. For this song, I had to prep for a week. But by the end of the film, I am supposed to look like a professional dancer. There’s a big dance sequence for which I have to be perfect, just like Tiger. We will shoot for it in March.”
Four months is what Nawaz has on his hands, and he will continue to train even while working on his next project, Manto [a biopic on Pakistani literary giant Saadat Hasan Manto directed by Nandita Das], which kicks off in January.
The natural dancer, Tiger, is helping the arthouse hero get the steps right. “Just watching him dance is big enough a lesson,” Nawaz graciously admits.
An embarrassed Tiger says, “The whole idea was to feed off each other’s styles. Honestly, I was bummed after the failure of A Flying Jatt. At such a time, being around an actor like Nawaz is invigorating. I can’t wait to film the final dance sequence with him. He is hard working and I know he will give me a tough fight with his energy.”
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