Actor-cum-dancer Javed Jaffery She was instrumental in changing how dancers were treated during live stage performances and recalls her early days calling for more equality. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the star actor revealed that he was among the first artistes to insist that dancers accompany the stars on tour and get the same level of respect and benefits. Let’s know more about it.
Javed Jaffery stands in for the dancers
Reflecting on the early days of stage shows, Javed Jaffery shared that despite not being a major star at the time, he was adamant about the dancers’ contributions as he understood the hard work they put into each performance. “I wasn’t some big star. If you look at it from that perspective, I was, well, mid-level. But I could understand how hard the dancers worked and earned that right. So for me, they should be where we live. We will be staying in the same hotel,” he told IANS.Javed recalls that the show’s organizers were initially surprised when he insisted on bringing along dancers for his performance. He shared, “Earlier, people used to say to me, ‘Sir, you come to our show and do a performance.’ I said I want to be a dancer. They would say, ‘Sir, you are a dancer yourself. Why do you want dancers?’ I said, ‘So I want a dancer’.The actor explained that while many stars at the time would perform a short dance and leave, he wanted to present a properly choreographed act with supporting dancers. He added, “The heroes of that time, I won’t name anyone, but they would go and come back with a little jig. I said no. I want a proper structured item. Minimum I would say two boys and a girl. If the budget is a bit better, three girls and three boys.” It was a proper set type item.”
Javed Jaffery claims credit for the group dance trend
The actor and ‘Boogie Woogie’ judge also revealed that he and his team have traveled extensively across the country, including the Northeast, performing together as a team. Pointing to how stage performance has evolved, Javed said that large dance troupes were uncommon in the 80s or early 90s. He said, “Today you’re taking 15 dancers, 20 dancers, which is great. But honestly, I think I’ve opened that door, those dancers should come and perform with artists.“Javed is currently seen as a judge on ‘India’s Best Dancer’ and will next appear in the fourth installment of ‘Dhamal’.
