How did you come on board with the project?
This happened on one fine day when Tiger (Shroff) called up saying that he wanted to do a song and sent me the audio asking me to listen to it. He asked me, ‘How do you like it?’ The first thing I said after listening to it was ‘Bro, who is the singer?’ I said so because he sounded like a professional Punjabi singer. That’s when he told me that it was him and wanted me to choreograph it. Later, he told me to direct the video. He has done two singles ‘You Are Unbelieveable’ and ‘Casanova’ before ‘Poori Gal Baat’. I and Tiger have been working for a long time, we met while working on the song ‘Beat Pe Booty’.
Isn’t it fun working with a friend? I mean, of course you have to be professional…
Yeah, that’s true! I think your work becomes much more exciting when you’re working with a friend and the process becomes very easy. We behave very professionally when we are on set because we know our mindset and goals. But at the same time, it’s very difficult because it is Tiger. We have to keep up with his calibre, so you have to be on the tip of your toe for everything. Only that part was challenging, otherwise, it was super cool.
How would you describe him on the sets?
The best thing about Tiger is that the first day when I met him years ago, he used to give 100%. And even now, whether it’s a commercial or a song or a film, he works in the same way as he used to when he started his journey. It’s a treat to work with Tiger.
What about Mouni Roy?
Mouni is one of my best friends. No doubt, she’s a very graceful, beautiful dancer and made her mark. But this time we decided to shoot the song within four days. So, she didn’t get enough time to rehearse. She got only two days to prepare. However, she is very dedicated when it comes to working. She told me, ‘I really wanted to give more time’. I wish we at least had 15 days, but that was not the case because Tiger had to leave for his London shoot. You won’t believe that we shot this in 10 hours. After wrapping up, he left directly to the airport to fly to London. Mouni and Tiger are looking stunning together in the song. It’s a fresh pair for everyone to look up to.
Go on…
The kind of dance Tiger does is something different from Mouni’s dance profile. She is a very graceful dancer and we have tried something different. Despite the time crunch, she picked up very quickly on the first day and second day, she was just polishing it for perfection. She definitely took a little time to learn. But she nailed it on set.
Did you get any creative inputs from them? Both Tiger and Mouni are professional dancers…
No, not really, because I think Tiger trusts me with choreography. He knows that he’s in safe hands. The best part is that he lets me do my thing. It’s his song, he sang it. I made sure that he knows everything about the creatives and the visuals that I was planning. I was keeping him in the loop because that is very important. He was well informed. While there was no input in choreography, he used to tell me whatever he was comfortable doing.
You also attended Mouni’s wedding…
Yes, I was a part of the bride squad. We were in Goa for 3 days to attend the wedding. We are very tight as friends, so it was an emotional moment for us. It was her special day after all. She was very nervous and all the emotions were just coming in. I am glad to have her as my best friend. It was a very minimal wedding because of COVID-19 restrictions but we had a blast!
Did you perform at her wedding?
Yes, it was for the sangeet night. I performed on ‘Mere Naam Tu’ and she was all emotional.
What about your equation with Suraj Nambiar?
We are now like close friends. We met a lot of times even before the wedding while prepping up for the D-Day. We are from the same age group and he is very ambitious.
How would you describe Mouni and Suraj together?
They have different personalities but best when together. They come from two different worlds but it’s a great amalgamation.
Are you working with Alia Bhatt next?
I have shot something interesting like a music video with Alia for a clothing brand. Apart from this, I also did a recent video with Varun.
