Latest news of top Tamil Choreographers (The Real Dancers)

The current best dancers of Tamil Cinema

Dancing is an art. The gifted few, who have mastered this art, make the rest go green with envy. If music is an inevitable part of our movies, so are dance routines. Be it solo dancing, dancing with the heroine or group dancing, Tamil cinema has taken an unimaginably huge stride in this area from the days of Chandralekha. If the drum dance was the trendsetter, dance and dancers have become bigger, better and most importantly innovative. Though there was a period in between where the focus shifted away to other priorities, it came to life again in the nineties with the introduction of peppy music and creative dance masters. We will have a look at these fabulous stars whose jhatkas and matkas give us a jaw dropping experience.

Being a veteran in Tamil cinema, Kamal Hassan is still an avid dancer. It is needless to say about Kamal Hassan's dexterity when it comes to skills other than acting. Dancing comes to him naturally. If Maanavan was the first movie to showcase his dance performance, his later movies just embossed his name in the history of Tamil cinema as the most versatile dancer. Be it Kathak, Bharathanatyam or Odissi that we saw in 'Salangai Oli' or western hip-hop styles that he danced in countless movies, the perfectionist in Kamal ensured he grew beyond comparison. Kamal is someone who is above the two categories that we saw before. He is plain natural when it comes to this art. Though he was trained in classical dancing in his early years as a budding actor, it is his simple desire to be different that has made him grow ... beyond comparisons. Hats off!

Jayam Ravi

When someone's first movie is Jayam (victory), he is sure to have a success story in Kollywood. If that person is a Bharatnatyam dancer too, then there is no denying that he is a crowd favorite. Having performed his 'Arangetram' at the age 12, dance comes easy to Jayam Ravi. There are people who dance by putting effort but there are some who simply enjoy doing it. Jayam Ravi belongs to the second category. His dances in Jayam, M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi and Unakkum Enakkum are still appreciated by many. He kept delivering seamless dance hits in Deepavali and Dhaam Dhoom. His acrobatic dance skills in the song 'Thikku Thikku', in Dhaam Dhoom project his special talent at best. The highlight of his recent movie Thillalangadi is the song 'Sol Pechu' with Tamannah. We can surely expect a lot of more Ravi in his upcoming movies as well.

Nakul

No one could have guessed that Nakul would be such a dancer after watching his first movie Boys. He neither had the figure nor showed his dancing prowess in the movie. What happened after that is history! Nakul, after shedding loads of weight, featured in Kaadhalil Vizhunthen which was discussed more for one reason. Nakka Mukka! Coupled with music from Vijay Anthony, Nakul delivered a performance which made people speechless. His versatility was evident in other songs and in his next couple of movies Maasilamani and Kantha Kottai. The audience has started expecting such dance sequences in his forthcoming movies which include Ratchagan.

Bharath

He was the best of the lot when it comes to dancing to the tunes in his first movie Boys. His acrobatic skills combined with synchronized dancing were the result of his intensive training at the 'Swingers International Dance club', where he joined at the age of 11. A trained professional dancer, Bharath's dance number, 'Annakili' in the Malayalam movie '4 The People' still remains fresh in memory. He showed his variety in Pattiyal and Veyil too. Though he has been projected as a larger than life hero in his recent movies, there is no shortage of dance footage in his films like Pazhani, Seval, Arumugam and Thambikku Indha Ooru. A lot of people still feel that his actual dancing talent is yet to be revealed.

Dhanush

If Dhanush looked every bit like the school kid in his first movie Thulluvatho Ilamai, he made a loud announcement that he is a special talent when it comes to dancing. The songs 'Thottu Thottu' and 'Manasu Rendum' in Kaadhal Kondein proved that he is a gifted dancer. Then came the blockbuster. A dancer's dream! 'Manmadha Raasa' happened and no one ever doubted Dhanush's dancing capabilities after that. He kept delivering his effortless dance hits in Pudukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan, Sullan and Pudhupettai. Though he started acting in mature and different roles thereafter, he reminded all of us that he has a lot to deliver with his dance numbers in Padikkathavan. Let us wait and see what he has in store in his upcoming movies including Uthama Puthiran.

P.S: Dhanush was suffering from high fever during the shooting of Manmadha Rasa song but still managed to deliver a knockout performance.

Shriya Saran

After carving a name for herself in the Telugu hit Santhosham, Shriya Saran made her debut in Kollywood only after three years after she made her debut in Telugu. Mazhai, a remake of Telugu hit Varsham, introduced a new dancing queen to Tamil cinema. Her graceful and neutral dancing became the talking point of Kollywood. A trained Kathak dancer in her early years, Shriya also learnt Kathakkali later. Shriya, concentrated on a lot of Telugu movies, before she became the cynosure of everybody's eyes with a show of amazing dance varieties in Shivaji. 'Vaaji Vaaji', 'Sahana' and 'Athiradi' just provided the right palette for Shriya to showcase her talents. Called by many as the best dancer in the industry, Shriya proved that she is good at western style of dancing too in Kandasamy.

Simbu

We knew him right from the day he was introduced to the public as a child artist in Oru Thayin Sabhatham. We even saw him dance at a tender age in a couple of movies. After his debut as a full- fledged actor, he has risen above all to become one of the finest dancers in the Tamil industry. The multi-talented actor has revealed that he can excel in all forms of dancing. His dancing skills in Dum, Kuthu, Manmadhan and Saravana were a rage among youngsters. So was the 'En Aasai Mythiliye' song in Manmadhan and 'Yammadi Aathadi' song in Vallavan. It was Silambattam which actually showcased his talent in full light. 'Nallamdhana', 'Vechikkava (Remix)' and 'Where is the Party' are finest examples of what this super talent is made up of. Even in a toned down character in VTV, Simbhu showed his dancing brilliance in Rahman's compositions.

P.S: Such is Simbu's dancing skills, that he gave a near perfect performance in the Endhiran audio release function in Malaysia just on popular demand. He had not rehearsed for the songs at all.

Vijay

From Naalaya Theerpu to Sura, this gentleman has never felt tired when it comes to dancing. Considered by many as one of the best dancers ever in Tamil cinema, Vijay has had his fans spellbound with his moves. Though the professor teaches the subject, it is the student who writes the exam. So Vijay is an extraordinary student who is bent upon improvising on his dance skills in each song he features in. To name a particular song would be demeaning to this very gifted and hard-working actor. His initial movies including Vishnu, Love Today, Once more and Nerukku Ner were just starters to the grand fiesta that awaited us. If Thulladha Manamum Thullum was a break through movie in his career, 'Macarena Macarena' and 'Kattipudi Kattipudida' are virtual classics. His 'All thotta Bhupathi' song in Youth and 'Appadi Podu' in Ghilli took his reputation as a dancer to the next level. His improvised dances in Azhagiya Tamil Magan, Villu and Sura have only created curiosity and have made us expect more from this 'Dancing Star'.

P.S: Vijay used to sing regularly in his movies to complement his dancing. He stopped this habit after Sachein, which was released in 2005.

Aishwarya Rai

The woman in discussion has many titles to her name. The grace, poise and the elegance she brings into her dances is just a treat to watch. It is beyond doubt that Aishwarya Rai is a dancer par excellence. Let it be her first movie Iruvar or her latest movie Endhiran, Aishwarya Rai is the cynosure of all eyes. She still has the same poise in "Irumbile oru Idhayam" as she did in "Hello Mr. Ethirkatchi". If 'Dhola re' in Devdas made her popular, 'Khajra re' stopped all critics to compare her with anyone in the current generation of actresses. Her performance in the song 'Nimboo da' from the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is a visual treat. We can recall a number of movies including Jeans, Taal and many other Hindi movies where she has made people drop their jaws with her dances. Take a bow!

Raghava Lawrence

If you remember 'Kaalam Kalikalam' in the movie Amarkalam, then you should know that it was the movie which made actors dance faster and ensured dancing in movies jumped to a new level. A respected and admired dance master in Telugu and Tamil, Lawrence has played a major part in the transition of dancing to suit the newest generation. His collaboration with Vijay in Tirumalai and Rajini in Sivaji was a huge success. Though he has spent a majority of his time as a choreographer for Telugu movies, he has acted in a few Tamil movies as well. Who can forget the sweet rascal in Parthen Rasithen? His movies in Telugu and Tamil have been absolute treats to watch especially for his dancing skills. His infectious dancing skills have spread to his co-stars in movies like Muni, Style, Pandi and Rajadhi Raja. Being touted as a specialist in hip-hop and westernized dance moves, Lawrence, in his recent movie Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam, delivered one of his best performances.

P.S: Lawrence runs a disability home for youth with physical disabilities and trains people in dancing. Dancers with such disabilities have showcased their talents in recent award functions in front of huge gatherings.

Prabhu Deva

Dancer, choreographer, actor and director! India's Michael Jackson! Oops! We forgot there is picture of Prabhu Deva in this page. He is beyond comparison when it comes to dancing. Hip-hop, street dancing, western, classical... name it and he can dance. The man with the nimblest feet in Indian cinema, Prabhu Deva is an admired and respected figure in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi movie circles. Though he first appeared on screen in Agni Natchatram as a dancer in the song 'Raja.. Rajathi Rajan', it was Shankar's 'Chikku Bukku Rayile' in Gentleman and 'Mukkala Mukkabla' in Kaadhalan which made Prabhu Deva a household name. He just took dancing to a different level in movies like Mr. Romeo, Love Birds and Minsara Kanavu. His special appearance in 'Key Sera Sera' alongside Madhuri Dikshit in the movie Pukar is indelible in fans' memory. Though he has acted in a lot of movies, he has always been an active choreographer.

P.S: Prabhu Deva has won two National Awards for Best Choreographer for his choreography in Minsara Kanavu and the Hindi movie Lakshya.

Tamil cinema - Dance choreography kings - Raju Sundaram & Prabhu deva

Firstly, talking about cinema and especially Tamil Cinema(India) is not to be considered gossip. The kind of activity that's happening in this industry is worth a lot of respect for the skill involved.

I am very sure, soon people are going to talk about management skills available in the tamil film industry, like they spoke about mumbai's dabbawallas last year.

Dance choreography

First and foremost are the dancers and dance choreographers of tamil cinema. And... only, Raju Sundaram and Prabhu deva in that context.

For the past 5 years whatever these fellas have done to tamil cinema songs is unforgettable... and never repeatable.

When there's a song on screen, I only watch the dancers behind the hero and /or main actors in the film. I will tell you something. Try to watch the dancers on the screen one by one and their movements. Each one's eyes, actions will reveal to you that they are enjoying the dance and all focussed on only enjoying it with perfection other than anything that's happening around them, not even looking at how the other fellow is dancing.

They are the best examples i can find in the world for team work. The best team is that of raju sundaram & prabhu deva's group. Watch two-three or 10 popular tamil songs in the same manner. You will find something interesting. The dancers in 9 out of 10 songs will be the same set, or atleast the first row of dancers will be same. They are all working for raju sundaram. Check up if you don't believe me.

And, I believe raju sundaram, and prabhu deva are one of the best managers of india.

Dance Choreography is about managing people, and making them dance... and more so its about finding steps that suits everyone's body and brings the best moves of dancer's body. Yes, there are too many parameters they keep track of, and for each actor the parameters are different.

I am totally excited about the dance in tamil films these days... I mean, even if 60-150 people dance, the choreography is like, not even a single person is out of sync or is not giving the best of him. So much involvement will happen only if everyone accepts the manager and understand the task ahead.

And you would be as excited as me, if you can get to see the sets, surroundings, men & material with which people shoot films in tamilnadu. Its all directed, coordinated as easy as wearing a shirt. And, these tasks are commendable work which goes without recognition unlike the behind-the-scenes video on a jackie chan film.

Back to prabhu deva.. and raju.

While prabhu deva is busy with becoming an actor - and recently in becoming a director, raju is all focussed on his men and the business. Prabhu deva directed a telugu film which was a boxoffice hit in south india. Prabhudeva occassionally and selectively does choreography for films other than pursuing his new found career in acting directing etc., Mentioning about prabhudeva and raju, we have to make a mention about upcoming dance choreographer nagarjun. All three are brothers. Nagarjun shows up his skills now and then with songs like Hamma hamma - Of bombay, and films like Ghilli (the mega hit of all tamil films in 2004).

And what an idiot I would be, if i didnt mention, prabhu deva's excellent choreography of Hritikh roshan for Lakshya. Prabhu's steps presented by Hritikh was the ultimate way prabhu could have ever presented dance to people. The song Main aisa kyon hoon -of Lakshya took Hritikh back to fame as the best dancer in hindi film industry...Hritikh already had touched fame with his dance for his first film....cch cchh i forgot the name.. something pyar...

And when I talk about prabhu deva choreographing Hrithik, I remember the song where prabhu choreographed actress Kajol. The song won prabhu deva a national award.

Sometimes, I myself have thought that prabhu deva isn't any interestingly skilled person. My perception was so because he was terribly bad on expressions when it came to acting. He has definitely improved a lot these days. But, now I tell myself, dance is about body.. and the language the moves speak. .. expression is presentation.. sometimes, with some too good dancers, you can bear bad expressions...atleast with prabhu deva... considering that neither prabhu deva nor his brothers were trained by proffessionals.. or had the opportunity to learn acting or expressions ...off the scene, until past few years. Though his professional training is not something we should be bothered about, I am discussing things with the context of understanding the men's work, their failures and stuff.

Sure, prabhu deva and brothers have more homework to do with expressions, if they are planning to show up next time on screen.. and should improve their presentation adjacent to their skills, to make things better.

But sure, prabhu deva and raju sundaram turned trumps all the way for their hardwork and understanding of relation between body and dance.