Meet the man who made Bhaijaan dance

Choreographer Adil Shaikh has choreographed Salman Khan in the song Bhar Do Jholi from Bajrangi Bhaijaan. After seeing his work in films like The Shaukeens and Go Goa Gone among a few others, Kabir Khan roped in Adil for this song.

How did Bajrangi Bhaijaan happen?
I have previously worked with Kabir Khan as an assistant choreographer in New York. He was following my work and he liked what he saw. So he called me for this song.

What was the brief given to you?
The sequence has Salman bhai getting chased by the cops when he enters a darga where this qawwali is playing. I planned the camera movements and also made sure Adnan Sami’s singing looked emotionally intense. Storytelling songs are the toughest to choreograph but I enjoy them more than doing dance songs.

How was your experience of working with Salman?
It has always been a dream to work with Salman. I have been following him from a very young age. It’s fun to work with someone like him.

Tell us a little about how you approach your craft.
I like to read scripts and then choreograph the songs. I also keep the film’s budget in mind while creating the concept. Reading scripts and knowing the characters always helps picturise the song better.

Previously I have done films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Daawat-e-Ishq, The Shaukeens, Go Goa Gone and many more. If you see the songs in these films, you will know what I’m talking about. To be the best and to do a perfect job, you need to love your job. In our industry, your work speaks for yourself. It is because Kabir sir saw my work and liked it that I could do Bajrangi Bhaijaan.