From Assistant to Choreographer: Shabina Khan's Journey

Mumbai, October 27: Shabina Khan is one of the best-known choreographers in Indian cinema. Her career began when she was just 13 or 14 years old, and it has taken her from assistant choreographer to a respected independent choreographer working on major films.

In an interview, she spoke about her professional path, the guidance she received from her mother, and her experiences with stars including Salman Khan, Govinda, Emraan Hashmi and Sunny Deol.

She describes her career as a journey she has devoted her life to. Having entered the industry as a teenager, she has grown up within it, learned within it, and built her name there.

Shabina believes her natural understanding of dance was strengthened by the experience of working in films, which taught her how to understand different kinds of people. Her mother, she said, played an important role in keeping her focused on the right path. Her mother often stressed that good learning and good work are the keys to growth.

Her long association with Salman Khan is one of the defining relationships of her career. She has worked with him since her school years and calls their collaboration her comfort zone. She explained that a comfort zone means working without fear, and she knows his habits well.

Her work with him includes songs from several films, among them Jai Ho, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Tubelight, Dabangg 3 and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Fans will recognise her choreography in the title track of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Hud Hud Dabangg and Naiyo Lagda.

Shabina also praised her working relationship with Emraan Hashmi. She choreographed songs for Aashiq Banaaya Aapne, released in 2005, and said the comfort zone they formed during that film has lasted to the present day.

She is now associated with the upcoming film Gunmaster G9, starring Emraan Hashmi, with direction by Aditya Datt and music by Himesh Reshammiya.

With Sunny Deol, her journey also began as an assistant choreographer. As an independent choreographer, she created all the dance numbers for Gadar 2, including Udja Kaale Kaava and Main Nikla Gaddi Leke. She is currently working with him on Suriya.

According to Shabina, working with an artist over many years makes it easier to understand their body language and method of working. "When you develop a comfort zone, you know how to talk to the artist and how to teach them steps. You begin to read their body language, and this makes the job a little easier."