Choreographer ATUL JINDAL has done some of the biggest music videos for the likes of Yo Yo Honey Singh, Badshah and Diljit Dosanjh and worked with Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. SHALINI SAKSENA chats him up

How did you end up being a choreographer?

Dance was a passion and wanted to pursue it. I completed my college but then I went on to pursue dance from Broadway in New York. To begin with, the idea was to teach dancing and we have schools — one in Delhi and the other in Mumbai and have been teaching for the last 11 years. Then one day someone asked me to choreograph a dance for him. I thought it was a prank but turned out to be a genuine call and that propelled me to choreographing.

What is Big Dance Centre all about?

The biggest centre is at Delhi and we purely teach western dance form. Of course, there is Bollywood since we are working in the industry. We opened the school in 2009. The aim was to teach dance styles that I had learnt in New York, Los Angeles and London. I wanted to bring in the right kind of dance knowledge to India. I knew if this was not the case, western style wouldn’t grow in the correct direction and people would continue to dance in the same style. The Delhi school has 5,000 sq feet space with 1,000 students who come in to learn. The focus is to train people professionally rather than those who want to learn as a hobby. But it is not as if we discourage people who come to us for the same. Our target age is 13 to 17.

You were in the US. Why did you come back to India to work here professionally?

I was there when I was 23 and got a chance to work there as well. But I wanted to come back because I saw there was a huge gap in India 11 years back and I knew I could step in and fill it. I still travel the world over for various reasons and see that there is so much that I can do in India. The market abroad is saturated, there are no weddings and no Bollywood.

You have been in the industry for long. What are the changes that have taken place while choreographing?

We started with Blue Eyes which got us noticed. Mr Amitabh Bachchan then called us for some training later we did the same for Shah Rukh Khan. I toured with Badshah. However, I have been dancing for two decades. Initially, dancing for Indian-based like one saw Madhuri Dixit do at her time. Today, music is changing and evolving and so has the dancing and choreography style. Music video scene has changed as well. Rap requires a different style of movement as does hip-hop.

What is the difference between choreographing for ads and music videos?

These are two different things. In ad commercials, one has to constantly keep the brand in mind. For example, for a jeans ad, one has to keep in mind the flexibility it offers rather than the upper body or the face. The choreography and movement have to be centred around the lower body. In music videos, the focus is on the artist as much as one can and give steps that connect with the viewers and how they perceive the artist.

Do you choreograph keeping in mind who the actor is or what the situation demands?

The most important thing is to keep the actor in mind. Like I said, I had trained Amitabh Bachchan sir. I can’t give him the same steps as I would to Tiger Shroff or Hrithik Roshan. If the artist is comfortable and enjoying the steps, the video or the commercial will look good. But I also have to keep in mind what the makers want.

The best dancer in the industry according to you. Why?

Hrithik Roshan and since I am old school, Madhuri Dixit is my favourite. I feel what she can do, nobody can.

What made dances so much better back then?

Definitely there was grace in the movements as opposed to staccato style that we have today. Some of the dances we appreciated was because of the Indian movements. Actors would train more back then. Also, if you are a dancer, it makes a lot of difference. Music also makes a difference; it is staccato and steps have to match the music.

How much does your choreography is inspired by what is happening globally?

While most of it comes from what I have learnt and what is taking place globally. But we have to cater to the Indian audience and keep sensibilities of the families. I try to be unique and have elements of western and Indian style.

What are your upcoming projects?

We recently released a video — First Kiss — and it is already trending worldwide. Next month, we are working on a track by Yo Yo Honey Singh.