Vaibhavi Merchant talks about choreographing Katrina Kaif in ‘Leke Prabhu Ka Naam’ and avoiding ‘Besharam Rang’ vibes

Following the enchanting and sizzling performance of Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone in the song ‘Besharam Rang’ from the movie Pathaan in January, fans are now captivated by the stunning allure and electrifying dancing skills of another seasoned Bollywood actress, Katrina Kaif. She was recently featured in the song ‘Leke Prabhu Ka Naam’ from the movie ‘Tiger 3.’

Both the songs were choreographed by the ace Bollywood choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant. Apart from these songs, she has also choreographed in multiple hit songs of the year like ‘Tum Kya Mile’, ‘Kudmayee’, ‘Dhindhora Baaje Re’ (Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani) and ‘Not Ramaiya Vastaviya’ (Jawan). Meanwhile, she recently talked about how the designation of the songs ‘Besharam Rang’ and ‘Leke Prabhu Ka Naam’ are different from each other.

“See, when I was introduced to Rubai, Deepika’s character in Pathaan, my brief was just that she’s supposed to entice the Pathaan character. There was no info about her backstory. It was her intro song. So I just approached her as a femme fatale. She’s Bo Derek from James Bond. Deepika had also done a bunch of traditional roles, like Padmaavat. 

So when she came into Besharam Rang, she wanted to go all guns blazing. So I didn’t want to shoot it like a typical Hindi dance song. I wanted it to be languid like a chic fashion video. Something I did with Katrina in the Dhoom 3 title track. But Zoya is very different from Rubai. She’s the wife of Tiger and the mother of a 10-year-old. So it’s all character-driven. Rubai is meant to entice Pathaan, Zoya is dancing with her husband (laughs). She’s just celebrating.” Vaibhavi was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Katrina comes from a place of anxiety: Vaibhavi Merchant

Vaibhavi also talked about how Deepika and Katrina are different from each other as dancers. In the world of Bollywood, two leading ladies, Katrina and Deepika, approach their work with contrasting styles. Katrina’s diligent, eager-to-please attitude mirrors a front-bencher, while Deepika’s quiet, self-reliant demeanour embodies the ease of a mid-bencher, making for a unique dynamic in the film industry.

“Katrina comes from a place of anxiety. She wants to make sure she doesn’t disappoint anybody. Deepika came in as the completely opposite. She’s a quiet worker. She did her rehearsals silently. She does her homework. Katrina also does her homework, but she’s like, “Dekho, dekho, main apna homework karke aayi hu.” She needs a sign-off from me on everything, including her costumes. Deepika worked on her costume herself. Katrina is that frontbencher who’s a teacher’s pet. She’s very hands-on. Deepika is that mid-bencher who comes with a certain ease.” Vaibhavi said.