Vaibhavi Merchant: Katrina is SRK’s opposite

Mumbai, Nov 13

Choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant has walked down the memory lane and shared her experience working with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif in Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

“Katrina is somebody who you have to tell, ‘please stop rehearsing because you are overdoing it’. She is the opposite of SRK. She would want to rehearse and rehearse till she gets it right. But she’s been like that right from the beginning. She always tends to put in a lot of hard work. Even though she is a good dancer, she believes she is not a good dancer,” Vaibhavi shared.

Released in 2012, Jab Tak Hai Jaan was the last film directed by late Yash Chopra.

Recalling the shoot of the number, Ishq shava, Vaibhavi spoke about how the actors pulled off the dance in the best way possible despite the cold.

“There is nothing that comes without its share of challenges. It was freezing cold when we shot Ishq shava. We did not complain one bit because there was this man, all of 80 years of age, with his jacket, with his director’s hat, with his love, with his passion for cinema, with his undying attitude towards his craft and his complete dedication and his complete madness and his complete passion for his own film, standing there towering above all of us,” she said, about the late Yash Chopra, calling the shots.

“Katrina had to be dressed in a certain way, and then she was getting her layers off and she had to dance in that freezing cold! We were still layered in jackets but I can only imagine how the actors pulled it off!” added Vaibhavi.

She also recalled that SRK used to rehearse for long to match steps with Katrina.

“SRK was dancing after so long! I think he danced in this song after years maybe, with proper choreography. SRK is always known to give his charming looks and expressions and his hand gestures and that famous poster pose that he tends to give, with his arms open. But here he had a lot more to rehearse for and lot more to project and a lot more to do. Since he had to dance with Katrina, whose USP is dancing, he had to match steps with her, and he really did a great job with his rehearsals and he really worked hard,” Vaibhavi shared.