Tabu has earned immense respect over the years for her powerful performances in serious dramas like Chandni Bar and Astitva, as well as her roles in comedies and memorable commercial songs since the 1990s. One of her most iconic screen appearances remains the energetic track Rang De from the film Thakshak. Composed by AR Rahman, written by Sukhwinder Singh, and sung by Asha Bhosle, the late-1990s song is remembered for Tabu’s intense screen presence.
While the final product won audiences over, perfecting the demanding choreography of choreographer Saroj Khan required extreme hard work behind the scenes. In a recent interview with Bollywood Thikana, dance artiste Rubina Khan, who was part of Saroj Khan’s dance team for the song, opened up about Tabu’s dedication and her incredibly generous gestures on set.
Recalling the rehearsals, Rubina shared, “She worked very hard to master the moves. During the rehearsals, she barely sat down. Since her body is slightly stiff, she doesn’t have the flexibility required to master such moves easily. Hence, she practised a lot and showcased her skills in the end. We completed the song in 4-5 days.”
According to Rubina, Tabu was filled with overwhelming joy upon seeing the final cut of the song, and she decided to express her gratitude to the entire choreography team in a very lavish way. She said, “She was so happy, she gifted gold bangles to Saroj Khan. She also gifted a gold chain to her male assistant and a gold bracelet to her female assistant. That was the first time I saw an artiste do something like that. She was so happy that she pulled off the dance number.”
Tabu also ensured that the background dancers were not left out and made them feel deeply appreciated. Rubina revealed, “There were about 25-30 women and almost the same number of men. She gave each of us Rs 1,000. It was such a kind gesture from her.”
Further praising Tabu’s compassionate and humble personality, Rubina recalled another incident from a different film shoot that involved Kathak choreography. During that shoot, the dancers had to execute a specific turn and halt in a particular pose.
She said, “While we were doing it, one of the girls with us sprained her leg and fell. Tabu immediately stopped. At that moment, we felt she was no longer the heroine but just one among us. She sat down next to the injured dancer, kept her leg on her lap, and asked one of the crew members to bring a bandage and medicine.”
When the injured dancer tried to intervene, Tabu insisted on helping. Rubina added, “When the dancer tried to stop her, saying she would apply them herself, Tabu was like, ‘It’s not a problem. Don’t you see me as one of your own?’ She is extremely sweet that way. Although we worked together only rarely after that, she is a person I will never forget.”
The track Rang De belonged to the action-drama Thakshak. Directed by Govind Nihalani, the movie featured Ajay Devgn, Rahul Bose, Nethra Raghuraman, Govind Namdeo, and Amrish Puri in key roles. The project marked director Govind Nihalani’s very first attempt at making mainstream commercial cinema. Even though the movie’s music and the performances of the cast received appreciation from the audience, the film failed commercially. According to Box Office India, Thakshak managed to collect only Rs 6.52 crore worldwide against its production budget of Rs 6.5 crore. Despite the film’s box office fate, Tabu’s kindness and work ethic left an enduring impact on the dancers who worked behind the scenes.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
