EXCLUSIVE: BOSCO UNPLUGGED!
Ace choreographer and director Bosco Martis in conversation with Aakanksha Naval-Shetye talks about the magic behind crafting some of Bollywood’s most unforgettable iconic moves, breaking rules and creating waves with Tauba Tauba and also reveals his favourites when it comes to making the stars dance to his tunes
EXCLUSIVE PICS: Yasir Arafat
Bosco Martis is unstoppable! Giving the Indian film industry’s top stars some of their most iconic dance moves and hook steps, the duo Bosco-Caesar have been on a roll, churning out one hit song after another. From Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, to Ranbir Kapoor, to Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone… Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan swag or the Vicky Kaushal ‘Tauba Tauba’ hook step that has been all the rage this year… In fact the number of reels being made on their hook-steps is phenomenal and cracking them has become the benchmark for being a good dancer! As the masterminds behind creating these blockbuster steps, they continue to reign as the unstoppable force behind some of the biggest stars’ best dances and have been redefining the creative art form in Bollywood.
Setting screens ablaze with his electrifying choreography and creative vision, Bosco’s hit tracks are a testament to his knack for turning music into a visual spectacle that rules hearts. I have known the ace choreographer for close to two decades now and have witnessed his dedication and hard work that has culminated to him being as celebrated as the stars and their hit moves. The passion to the art, the sincerity for the craft and the hunger to keep pushing the creative boundaries is what has taken him right to the top of his game. The journey wasn’t easy, but it has been worth every drop of the sweat and blood, he tells me in this exclusive interview as we catch up in Dubai for a fun chat. It’s Bosco like never known before, as he gets candid about his journey, opens up about his life, and talks about the magic behind crafting unforgettable moves while pushing the boundaries of dance and storytelling in the entertainment world without any ‘Tauba Tauba’. Presenting Bosco unplugged:
2024 was on fire with Tauba Tauba!
Yeh ho gaya Tauba Tauba. It is one of those things that just happen, like a phenomenon! I think the next will be our 25 years in this industry that has been so giving and so glorifying. And ‘Tauba Tauba’ has been very special. The beauty of getting visibility is when the actors talk about your work and then they kind of glorify you and the technicians. So that really puts you on the map and people know what your work is because its recognised by an actor and the actor endorses your work, so it does make a lot of difference when they talk about it and then the audience gets to know. So I guess this is the time when not only Bosco as a brand, but also the face is becoming visible so that’s something that is a great experience and then you have a lot of selfies being clicked and you kind of have those little moments so it’s special. And what is even more special is when your mum is with you and she’s like okay I’ll click a picture for you. And she’s kind of endorsing that toh maza aata hai.
You have given almost all top stars their most popular hook steps, including Katrina Kaif and now with Vicky Kaushal you’ve taken it to another level altogether!
Vicky Kaushal is actually a natural performer and the timing of us all working together and getting the song right just clicked. A lot of credit goes to Karan Johar for bringing the team together, to Karan Aujla for the song he gave, to Vicky Kaushal because the vibe he got. I think it’s very important for an actor to internalise when he’s listening to you and that is exactly what Vicky did! He was like, ‘Sir main ye kaise karunga?’ And I said, ‘Do minute mein, chal aaja karte hain.’ And he did it! That was the faith and the trust that he had and he completely surrendered.
Then SRK and Deepika also with Pathaan!
SRK was very special. ‘Jhoome Jo Pathaan’ has been a song that just celebrated Bollywood. Whenever I see Khan Sahab do that, I’ve just been so happy and to see the audience react to him doing it, because he’s got a natural swag. You know with the kind of injuries he’s gone through, he’s dancing on a cobble street, dancing on a wet floor, he’s fearless and that how he is… you just don’t make superstars, they are blessed and that is what Khan Sahab is. In terms of the step, even I can’t do what he does. He’s got a natural swag and that is so cool about him. He just made the step his own.
You did that with Hrithik when you gave him ‘Tu meri’ and then ‘Ghunghroo’ too!
Yeah! And it’s my favourite, because it’s a film in itself. It’s a celebration of two superstars who kind of celebrate in dancing.
You are creating such fierce competition between these stars…
No, not at all (laughs). It’s not a competition, it’s just exciting! It is what keeps me motivated, because it’s never about which hook-step to create for which star that will become the biggest trend, it’s about creating something unique that when you watch it you have a smile on your face. That is the real and the only deal! I feel the audience and I become the audience, not the choreographer, and if it makes me smile, we go ahead.
Bosco on his special pendant!
“It’s not a bitcoin, but this is very special and more precious than any bitcoin! My dad who passed away in 2017 had suffered a stroke and he had lost his speech. Also he was right handed but the stroke affected his hand too and he couldn’t write, so I started making him write with his left hand. This is what he drew for me with his left hand ‘BLM’ and 27 is my lucky number so on the 27th this is what we had cracked. It always lives close to my heart.”
How do you create these steps…
I’m blessed that I have a great, a really fantastic and talented team – Gul, Oggy, Vijay Raju, Ankan, Sahil, Alisha, Paro, Jack… So these guys are extremely talented and I think one of the best that one could have. And obviously there’s Ceaser for me to fall back on. I believe that movies or songs… they are made by team effort. It’s not an individual thing. You may envision it a certain way, but if the DoP can’t capture it the same way or the star can’t convey it right, or the filmmaker doesn’t back it enough, it just won’t work… so the magic only happens when all of it comes together beautifully. Like in ‘Tauba Tauba’… If you see, the hook-step actually comes only once, and yet it became that popular. Otherwise, often a hook-step has to be repeated. The rule is to give a step that is easy for others to follow, but we just broke all the rules and we did the opposite. We made it so tough that everybody tried to copy. So now you know there is no rule. And I trust and enjoy this process.
Do you also have like a library of steps worked out or you work on the choreography only once you listen to the song?
It’s always the song that dictates the moves and never the other way around. The song should hit you before and then the step will follow. It’s your soul that kind of resonates the move and that is what we’ve lived with since childhood. Like I used to be, I won’t say a street-dancer, I would say a Ganpati dancer. And it’s a celebration that you’re dancing, the music the joy of celebrating, it’s such a festive moment and there’s no planned choreography. So dance is like that, you feel yourself move as per what you hear and the emotions that the music tugs at.
From there to now everyone dancing to your tunes… you have become a star, a brand yourself. What stands out the most is the goodwill you have…
It’s been a blessed journey. I am a star-maker I would say, but yes the brand has got visibility. And yes, I have felt that energy. It’s very rare that somebody celebrates you on stage. It’s very rare that somebody talks about you on stage. And these are moment which I feel every technician should have. When an actor celebrates you, the world celebrates you! I think it’s just blessings.
Do actors ask you to give them the best steps ever, even if they may not be able to pull them off easily?
Hota hai… Actors do want to create benchmarks and set trends with their dance moves and its understandable. Afterall, millions of people follow them and they have to be like the torchbearers. And that support comes from us wholeheartedly. That collaboration of a technician and an actor… there’s so much that he trusts in you and there’s so much that you invest in them and both have that belief in each other. I think that’s a great combination. Everybody is selfish, everybody is ambitious, everybody in this form wants to create and wants to make a niche and wants to be visible. And that is good that an actor wants to do something even if it’s beyond his growth or capacity because he is trying to raise the bar higher and we always encourage it and support it.
Who are your top faves among actors?
I just love Ranbir Kapoor. He’s such a natural guy. He surrenders in such a way that you have to doublecheck on yourself that you’re doing the right thing or not. The pressure is on us. So, Ranbir is one of my most favourites that I love to work with. Obviously Hrithik because he brings out the best in you. There is Shahid (Kapoor), there is Ranveer Singh. I think he’s a ball of energy. I haven’t worked with him after Gully Boy, but I think what he does on screen, the fire that he create is just amazing. Vicky Kaushal is now my personal favorite. Among the girls, Katrina Kaif for sure is my favourite and she is just such a hard-working, committed lady.
Yes her growth especially as a dancer has been so out there!
I think I have grown with her too because the kind of collaboration that we’ve had, it’s our journey. When I look back and see the way we have worked together and what we have done together, before the ‘Chikni Chameli’ and before the ‘Sheila’, I think that was the foundation which was really very important for us to create. And that was beautifully done. I love Alia Bhatt because she is exactly like Ranbir Kapoor. She puts the pressure on you, you kind of figure out how to do it. And the beauty is that she is so absorbing with your moves, and she internalises and she makes it her own. And not to forget Deepika Padukone. She’s extremely sensational in terms of her body language. She has so much swag. Like ‘Ishq Jaisa Kuch’, she was dancing in stilletos. It’s unbelievable what she’s done and hats off to her. I think it’s a great vibe that she brings on screen.
What about direction?
I loved what we did with Rocket Gang, especially knowing how we did it. Like we had so many things stacked against us, but we overcame it all. It’s been such a great learning curve and God’s been kind that we could make and release the film. Now I feel I can seriously do anything. And I’ll choose what I want to do next in that. I want to enjoy this as a journey rather than struggle. We’ll all just throw it to the universe and it’ll pick when it has to.
If there’s a movie on you, who would you like to play you?
I think Ranveer Singh for sure. He’s the closest to me, the energy, the vibe. Well, even I can’t match his energy, it’s way over but he has got a great vibe and his swag. He’s such a natural.
What about manifesting a global star you’d like to choreograph?
Maybe with Will Smith! Hugh Jackman! The Greatest Showman, oh my God, I have watched that like a zillion times I guess. And the swag, the attitude, the passion he has, the body language. Like he comes across as a man so full of swag and passion.