From National Award recognition to creating chart-topping dance numbers, Vijay Ganguly has established himself as one of the most versatile choreographers in contemporary Hindi cinema. Known for injecting distinct character and emotion into every routine, Ganguly reunites with actress Yami Gautam Dhar for two energetic numbers in Nayyi Navelli—a collaboration that saw Yami power through neck pain, master moonwalking, and bring unmatched joy to the screen.
Yami Gautam Dhar is known for her dramatic roles. You choreographed two songs in Nayyi Navelli. How is she as a dancer?
First of all, Yami and I go way back. My first song as an independent choreographer was with Yami – Nachange Saari Raat (Junooniyat, 2016). And this year, we both got our first National Film Award, which was a crazy coincidence. And now we have worked together in Nayyi Navelli.
Yami worked incredibly hard. She was dancing non-stop. Her neck was completely stiff because she had been rehearsing and shooting action sequences for the same film right before this. Her neck was in severe pain, and I could see it on her face.
Yet, during the entire shoot, she never once said, “I need to go to the van” or “My neck is hurting.” In between takes, she would sit in the corner while someone applied ice and heat packs to her neck. I don’t know if she was taking painkillers, but she didn’t stop for even a second. She told me, “Don’t even worry about it. Take whatever shot you want; I will give my best.”
As a dancer, Yami expresses herself so beautifully that it feels completely real. Some people dance in a very structured, mechanical way—like counting 1, 2, 3, 4—making everything look too rigid. But Yami brings an element of pure fun and masti (joy) into her dancing. For example, in the song, there is a shoulder-shaking step where she drops her head—you can only pull that off if you are genuinely having fun, otherwise, it looks forced.
We even had hip-hop and a moonwalk sequence, and she was initially so stressed: “How will I do the moonwalk? How am I going to do this?” But she went home and practiced relentlessly. She would literally moonwalk from one room to another at home! By the time we shot it, she pulled it off brilliantly.
The Bhabhi Tabaahi song has caught many eye balls. What’s the story behind that sequence?
In Bhabhi Tabaahi song sequence, the brother-in-law is bent on proving that “Bhabhi is a witch (chudail).” No one believes him, so he challenges her to reveal her true form. He sends various people to challenge her—first some boys, then small kids, and eventually even eunuchs.
When the eunuchs arrive to challenge her, Yami did something very interesting. She told me a meaningful story about eunuchs from the time of Lord Ram—though I honestly forgot the exact details—which highlighted their important cultural role. Because of that background, before starting the dance competition with them, Yami respectfully greets them with a namaste, competes with them, and ultimately wins them over. Shooting that song was so much fun.
