Oshika - Sri Lanka - Wedding Choreography

Bollywood bonanza as a prince marries his princess on the shores of Colombo.

The term Fairytale wedding is clichéd. In the case of my friends Oshan and Radhika, it’s an understatement. Friends and family from all corners of the world gathered to mark this wonderful occasion in Colombo. It was a reminder of the incredible power of love and its ability to bring people together.

Bollywood dance performances at weddings have become the norm. We wanted to take it one step further and choreograph a Bollywood production showcasing our bride and grooms love story. I began by writing a script to include performances by the groomsmen, bridesmaids, family members and the newlyweds. We selected six songs which matched the love story narrative. A pre-recorded introductory voice-over would set the scene, followed by acting and Bollywood dance performances.

The major challenge was co-ordinating and communicating this vision to participants in over seven different countries! I sent out the script and filmed video tutorials for the guests to learn before arriving in Sri Lanka. Rehearsals were then carried out in the days prior to the wedding.

The result? A live Bollywood production.

Hanuman's Big Gig - Voice Over Artist - Hong Kong

A memorable story depicting the Monkey Lord’s humility and devotion in an encounter with Lord Krishna and Narad Muni.

I was very thankful to voice the character of Lord Krishna on this occasion. Swami Supriyananda of the Chinmaya Mission in Hong Kong bought together a fantastic group of willing artists.

Recording took place at Sky Productions studio in Kowloon and was a very enjoyable experience with all the characters involved. This was my first voice over project.

The Chinmaya motto is: “To give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time”. That’s a motto I can get behind!

Bollywood on Hollywood Dance Classes – Hong Kong

Creating a Bollywood buzz in Hong Kong.

Every Thursday evening for almost 4 years, people would come to dance with me on Hollywood Road. Launching my classes was a grind and required patience. Slowly the magic of Bollywood took hold of the Soho area. After gaining favorable coverage from South China Morning Post, TimeOut and Sassy Hong Kong, things began to take off. This led to many other opportunities including corporate workshops, performances, wedding choreography and private lessons.

Every week I would teach a different routine with the focus being on fun over form. People from all backgrounds of Hong Kong’s multicultural expat scene would join. Locals would also come to shimmy with me. This is a testament to the boundless appeal of Bollywood and its ability to connect with people. I had so much fun being able to communicate this energy and am grateful for the support from my students.

My final class was a special surprise organised by my dear friend Aude who bought together my closest friends and students to dance with me for the last time. I can now say my face has made it onto a t-shirt thanks to the Bollywood on Hollywood tees made for the finale!

I miss my students dearly and hold them close to my heart.

Bollywood Baes Dance Workshop - Hong Kong

Last weekend we created some magic in Hong Kong. People of all backgrounds came together to dance with each other. Some of the partners had just met that day. But if you look at the videos, their expressions say otherwise. That's because we all inherently want to smile. It's impossible not to when dancing. Especially to Bollywood! It was a pleasure teaching such an excitable group with Hanisha. Although I had lost my voice the following day.

Hanisha's passion for Bollywood dance was the driving force behind this workshop. She conceptualized the well-received teaser videos which were shot on the edgy streets of Sheung Wan. We decided that instead of shooting in a studio, why not make use of the many eye-catching backdrops Hong Kong has to offer. The second teaser video received over 150,000 views on Instagram within a few days!

The workshop was very well received and I'm looking forward to more like this one.

Check out Hanisha’s channel for more fun Bollywood videos.