Mumbai : Working with ace choreographer Terence Lewis in his new song ‘Shaidayee’ where he is featured, is a treat, says fellow choreographer Saurabh Prajapati.Saurabh, who is the youngest choreographer in the industry today, says that Terence is a constant inspiration.Terence has also debuted as a singer, and Saurabh says, “Honestly, the first time I heard Terence Sir sing was at his home, on his piano. This was when we were celebrating the success of my first song with him as a lead actor, which was sung by Ash King and Palak Muchhal.”It was there that I noticed that he had a style and flair for singing and when Ash and Palak complimented him, I realised he just needed that push to go public! Terence sir is highly critical of himself and is a perfectionist so he would not do anything until he is 1,000 per cent sure!””For this song too, I had to push him because he insisted that he would train properly and only then hit the recording studio. I had to wait for one and a half years to finally get the song recorded. I’m glad he finally did it. The results are awesome and I agree that there is no substitute for training and hard work.”
Getting him into the look was no easy feat, says Saurabh. “We share a strong bond and the saying ‘vibe with your tribe’ holds true for us. We understand each other well and know how to compliment each other in the workspace with ease. As an actor, he is natural and effortless and the best thing is that the camera loves him. Also, since he is a choreographer himself, he understands what the director wants and works hard to get the body language of the character right.””What I like about Terence sir is that he is open and ready to experiment and break his own image from time to time. The character we wanted for this song was of a simple middle-class man who is star struck when he meets his boss who happens to be an aspiring actor.”A funny incident happened on the first day of shooting. Terence Sir came for the first shot and though he was wearing dirt-stained, oversized, uncomplimentary clothes, he was looking so fresh and rich on camera that we had to cut the shot and ask him to change his hair colour and hairstyle to make him look dishevelled, messy and unkempt.”
“Without a single sigh, he did what was told and kept asking us if we were satisfied. The make-up artist also had a tough time making him look ordinary in three shades darker skin tone. The Terence Lewis you see in the music video is nothing that we know of from his television shows where he is dapper and well-groomed,” he shares.Talking about the song, Saurabh says: “‘Shaidayee’ is a love song which emphasises that when you truly love someone without any expectations or reciprocation, feeling that love within you is enough. Jeniffer Piccinato is the girl who has been featured opposite him.”When we screen-tested Jennifer, she looked perfect but we were doubtful of the acting as we knew her as a model. But she blew us away with her confidence and maturity in understanding the character in the role. She suited the role perfectly and was super professional on set. No tantrums and it was super-efficient.”