When Saroj Khan and Nadeem clashed over Raja song ‘Ankhiyan Milaoon Kabhi’: ‘Aapka kaam hai gana shoot karna, gana select kabse karne lagi aap?’

At the time, composer Nadeem of the iconic duo Nadeem-Shravan, was at the peak of his career. Sameer continued, “Aur Nadeem toh uss waqt shabab par tha toh uss ne bola ki Saroj ji aapka kaam kya hai – gana shoot karna, dance karna… gana select kabse karne lagi aap? Nadeem ne bola ki Saroj ji gana toh yahi rahega chahe aap rahengi ya hum rahenge, magar gana yahi rahega (And Nadeem, who was at the height of his success, responded, ‘Saroj ji, your job is to choreograph and shoot the song… since when did you start selecting songs? This song will remain, whether you or I are here or not, but the song will stay as it is.’)”

‘Who does he think he is?’

Madhuri Dixit and Saroj Khan. (Express archive photo)

The confrontation didn’t end there. Sameer added, “Ye sunne ke baad Saroj ji neeche utari gane dete huye Nadeem ko ki ye samajhta kya hai aapne aap ko. Aur unhone bola ki chal tu bhej gana tujhe batati hoon (After hearing that, Saroj ji stormed downstairs, cursing Nadeem, saying, ‘Who does he think he is?’ And she said, ‘Fine, send the song to me – I’ll show you what I can do.’)”

Eventually, Saroj Khan turned the very track she initially rejected into a visual masterpiece. Sameer recounted, “Gana gaya bhaiya poora mix hokar aur phir Madhuri aayi, Sanjay Kapoor aaya, aur aisa shoot kiya unhone ki kya bataun (Once the song was fully mixed, Madhuri came, Sanjay Kapoor came, and the way they shot it – what can I even say, it was phenomenal).”

Also Read | Mandira Bedi says shooting for DDLJ song ‘traumatised’ her; Saroj Khan scolded her for ‘dancing like Sunny Deol’: ‘Have seen the film only once’

Known as a tough taskmaster in the industry, Saroj Khan was famously precise about her vision. Her high standards and intensity have reportedly left many actors intimidated, including legendary performers like Rekha.

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