Hong Kongers, it would seem, are not immune to the Bollywood dance bug. Dance nights are organized in ex-pat forums, where information about classes and teachers is also shared. Local dance studios offer classes in which attendees will learn to “twist, twist, twist” to the choreography of the famous song, ‘Twist’.
But it’s not only the Saif Ali Khan-starrer Love Aaj Kal that is inspiring Hong Kongers. It seems that they love the films of Govinda, too, and the star was recently mobbed by a crowd in Hong Kong, where he is shooting for director Aditya Datt’s next film Chai Garam. The crowd surrounded the actor and asked him to perform some of their favourite dance steps. Govinda obliged, apparently, happy to discover his appeal extends to Far Eastern fans.
Veteran choreographer Soraj Khan once said that Govinda was such a good dancer because his dancing was “lively, expressive and full of energy,” which she added, “makes you feel like dancing”. For Hong Kong’s Bollywood dance fans, this would seem to hold true. Only time will tell if Govinda will equal Indian film star Rajinikanth’s cult status in Japan– where he was known as the “Odori Maharaja” (Dancing Maharaja) – but for now, it would seem that in Hong Kong, at least, Govinda is Dancer No. 1.
