The actress, who is admired for her versatility, recalled how Saroj Khan’s strictness almost drove her to despair during the shooting of English Babu Desi Mem.
Sonali Bendre humorously shared that Saroj Khan was so frustrated with her dancing that she jokingly said she was ready to “kill” her.
Sonali Bendre had a tough time mastering the dance moves, especially since she was portraying a bar dancer in the film.
Sonali Bendre wows netizens with throwback video
In an interview, Sonali admitted that she struggled to pick up the steps and felt the pressure from Saroj Khan. She said, “Saroj Khan was ready to kill me because I couldn’t dance. Can you imagine what she was going through?”
Despite her struggles, Sonali was determined to improve. She spent hours outside her shooting schedule working to get the moves right.
Sonali Bendre recalled how Saroj Khan’s assistant, Ahmed Khan, would pick her up from home in Lokhandwala, take her to rehearsals, and motivate her with chocolates and ice cream. “He would bribe me with chocolates and ice cream to keep me going,” Sonali laughed.
Though exhausted at times, Sonali Bendre pushed through with Ahmed’s encouragement, saying, “I was like, ‘I can’t do it, I’m fed up,’ and he would say, ‘Come on, just one step, just once more.’”
Saroj Khan, who passed away on July 3, 2020, left an enduring legacy in the Bollywood dance world. Sonali Bendre, now back on screen, was last seen in The Broken News Season 2, which aired in 2024.
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