When Madhuri Dixit’s song Dhak Dhak led to a face-off between Sridevi and Saroj Khan: ‘That’s where we both parted ways’

Saroj had previously recounted that Sridevi had once invited her to her vanity on the film Chaand Kaa Tukdaa sets. The choreographer said that Sridevi expressed her dissatisfaction with the choreography and she believed that Saroj was not giving her songs the same level of commitment as she was giving Madhuri’s songs. 

The choreographer, as quoted in the book Sridevi The Eternal Goddess, said, “I think she had seen rushes of Madhuri’s “Dhak Dhak” and she said that I was not showing the same dedication towards her songs. I retorted, telling her that the music of Chaand Kaa Tukdaa was weak and I could not create great steps for it. I told her since she no longer had faith in me, I would not work with her for a whole year. That’s where we both parted ways for a while.” 

(Photo: Express archives)

Although, Sridevi had a different story to tell. She claimed in interviews that Saawan Kumar, who directed the movie, refused to work with Saroj because of some problems with her. When things didn’t work out, Sridevi even said that she asked Saawan to give Saroj another chance. “Her grouse was against Saawan-ji, I wonder why she took it out all on me. And if she says that I’m nothing without her dances and that she’s made me, all I can say is that I’m very grateful to her for this,” she said in an interview with Stardust. 

However, Saroj and Sridevi both kept a record of each other’s work for a year. “A year later, Sri herself called me and we patched up. We were both in tears and kept hugging like mad. It was a beautiful moment. We had really missed each other,” Saroj had said.

Saroj passed away in 2020 after a cardiac arrest. Her last choreography was for the song Tabaah Hogaye, featuring Madhuri Dixit in Karan Johar’s Kalank in 2019.