Kruti Mahesh: Reality Show Contestant To National Award Winning Choreographer

Celebrating International Dance Day, we introduce Kruti Mahesh, who started her career as a contestant on a dance reality show and later became a renowned choreographer for actors like Deepika Padukone, Nora Fatehi, Madhuri Dixit, and Alia Bhatt. Known for setting trends with every song she choreographs and creating viral hook steps, Kruti Mahesh recently shared her journey with SheThePeople, discussing her early industry experiences, challenges, notable choreography projects, and her journey to becoming a national award-winning choreographer.

Kruti Mahesh Interview

Mahesh discussed how she got her start in the entertainment industry. She stated it was with Dance India Dance Season 2 in 2009, and after it ended, she continued to participate in other reality dance competitions as a skipper. She had been assisting Remo D'Souza for a while as well. She didn't have the chance to choreograph a movie song before Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani's 'Balam Pichkari' in 2013. However, she claimed 'Pinga' from Bajirao Mastani in 2015 was her big break, where she had the opportunity to collaborate with an industry icon like Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

She did, however, mention that she had received a call from him earlier for Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. She was so thrilled that she couldn't believe what she was hearing that she nearly lost her cool, but she soon realised that she had a contract with another production company for that time period and had to turn it down because they might have sued her for that. "I cried a lot, believing that this was the end of my career, and now there was nothing I could do," she admitted.

She continued, "When I got the opportunity for Bajirao Mastani, I was like, 'What more could I ask from God?' I hold a very special place in my heart for the song. Sanjay Sir asked me why I didn't want to work with him at the time of Ram-Leela. I told him everything after being startled that he remembered me."

On the secret behind her versatility

If you have seen Mahesh's choreographies so far, it is appropriate to refer to her as the "garba queen of Bollywood." All of her top songs involve the Garba, yet they vary significantly from one another. What is her trick, exactly? She explained how she choreographed each song.

She began by referring to the Deepika Padukone-starrer Ghoomar from Padmaavat (2018), in which she claimed that Deepika's character, a Maharani, had no way to dance like a normal woman, wear typical clothing, or express herself physically or facially in an ordinary way. She said, "It wasn't easy recording Ghoomar, a Rajasthani dance form, but we had expert Jyothi D. Tommaar. Padukone just gave in to the craft; with all that jewellery, outfit, and steps, she was so fully invested in her character that she made such difficult choreography look so easy on screen."

She continued by mentioning Boom Padi from Maja Ma (2022), another garba starring Madhuri Dixit. She acknowledged that speaking with her was a bit intimidating because she had worked with Saroj Ji and was a talented dancer on her own, but she quickly put her at ease. She added, "I adore her and, in the movie, she played a strong woman who is devoted to her family, and that is what the song highlights in its celebration of bonds."

She then explained Ganga's character from Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022). She said that each song in the movie has a context, a message, and a circumstance that should be anticipated or taken into account. Through the songs, Ganga's transformation into Gangu could be seen.

She added that Ganga, a Gujarati teen girl who wanted to work in Bollywood, was depicted dancing garba in the song Jhume Re Gori with all the lachak but innocence at the same time. Similar to how Dholida was the song that portrayed Ganga as Gangu Bai, the brothel's madam. Although it was difficult to convey through song, since Gangu comes from Kathiabad, there is a distinct Kathiawadi garba flavour to her dancing when she dances in Dholida. Additionally, her garba indicated that she had experienced plenty in her life and carried a certain amount of masculinity. Therefore, the song had to have that masculine quality; it couldn't just be a beautiful woman dancing, as she explained about the drill.

"The first thing to consider is the character's background. A typical Gujarati girl dancing garba will differ from a maharani dancing garba and a brothel madam dancing garba in Kamathipura. As a choreographer, in order to convey the character's feelings and values through the dance steps, you must first put yourself in the character's shoes."

On working with Alia Bhatt

Regarding the experience of working with Alia Bhatt, She remarked, "Bhatt is a great artist and incredibly amazing. She comes on set with no attitude and strives to grasp what she is supposed to do, which I believe is what makes her different in the industry. She is very honest about her profession."

When asked to share an experience from the sets of Gangubai Kathiawadi, she revealed, "One instance that really shocked me and that I'd like to tell is when the team was rehearsing the final few sequences for a song, and Bhatt was getting ready on the set while observing the team. On top of that, she had picked up her moves simply by watching, without even practising. While taking the shot, she gave a perfect shot without a second take. She is incredibly observant; when she sees a few steps, she quickly picks them up and instantly transforms into the character, sometimes leaving you in awe."

When Mahesh was asked one thing that she finds common in Padukone and Bhatt after working with both of them, she said that one thing in common is that they both are very beautiful inside and out. She added, "And one thing one cannot unsee is Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I mean, he has played a great role in both of their careers. They have made their best films with him. And the character for which Sanjay sir chose them, I don't think any other actor could play better than them. That's what's best about Sanjay, sir.

Female representation on screen and behind the camera

On female representation, the National Award-winning choreographer said, "We still need to make a ton of changes, but plenty have already taken place. I have seen a lot in this field throughout my career, and I continue to witness it. I used to get upset and annoyed earlier, but I've become used to it and accepted it."

She explained how, previously, female actors dancing was more of a sensualised dance number, and male directors used to be directing. However, things are changing now that there are female filmmakers and female actors, and dancing as an art has become more sensible in cinema. She said that there are still "female" and "male" calls in this as well as in every other industry. However, this change remains in progress in this industry, and each member of this big team involved in a production chain is responsible for bringing about the change.

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Coping With Failure:

She said she is still learning and faces failures as an artist. She has still a lot to do and a lot to learn. She shared that some songs and choreographies do well, and there are still songs that no one knows she has choreographed because they didn't do well. But she needs to move on in life and do better with each chance she gets.

She said, "How I face failure is that there's no instant solution to such situations if I see a song didn't do well or it did not get that response. I sit and think about it like everyone else does. I think about what did not work and what I could have done better. Then I dance and record myself that way so that if I ever get a chance to do better, I'll do this. That way, I prepare myself for upcoming opportunities."

Return To TV As A Reality Show Judge

For her fans who are waiting for her to return to television, she said, "I haven't received any of these offers to date, but if I got an opportunity to serve as a judge on a reality programme, I'd jump at the chance to return to television. After all, our nation is full of talented people, and what could be better than recognising their skills and guiding them in the right direction?"

Advice for Aspiring Choreographers:

For all aspiring dancers who want to make a secure career in the entertainment industry, she advised them to be prepared because nothing is consistent.

 "If you come from a job with a good salary, come and try this out first before deciding whether you want to continue. Also, you really need to have patience if  you want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry because it is difficult to even find work, let alone recognition. If you get both, you must act consistently and be ready for future opportunities."