Bollywood / 'Race 3' wasn't a failure, ₹180 crore is not a bad number: Remo

Choreographer-turned-director Remo D’Souza feels Bollywood’s apathy to the dance genre is finally changing. “I feel there are a lot of changes now. After ABCD: Any Body Can Dance (2013), this genre has opened up and people are making these kind of movies,” says the director of the recently released Street Dancer 3D.

As a choreographer, Remo has films such as 36 China Town (2006), Singh Is Kinng (2008), London Dreams (2009) and Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011) to his credit, among others. And the 46-year-old feels “dance has changed big time in Bollywood”. “I think the transition happened about a decade ago when dance reality shows started. Now, we have every actor doing some amazing dance steps,” he says.

Katrina Kaif was initially roped in for Street Dancer 3D, but had to quit due to Bharat (2019). Remo says Shraddha Kapoor was the next choice. “Since Katrina had to opt out, we didn’t think of anyone else but Shraddha. In 15 minutes she came on board,” he shares.

Ask if it’s more comfortable to direct dance-themed films and Remo says, “It has more to do with the script. In F.A.L.T.U (2011), ABCD, ABCD 2 (2015) and Flying Jatt (2016), I was a part of the screenplay. The only movie I was not a part of writing was Race 3 (2018). It’s not like I wasn’t comfortable directing it. I am a little more comfortable with a script that I’m part of. I’m willing to direct different genres going ahead.”

Remo, who had directed the Salman Khan-starrer, feels “it wasn’t a failure”. “People used to talk about films being a hit, flop or a blockbuster. Now, the focus is on how much it made in its first weekend. As a director, I feel ₹180 crore is not a bad number. Baaki sab ki films ₹120-130 crore karti hai toh it’s a blockbuster, but people felt my film didn’t do well at the box office,” he observes.

And the director, who has a cheating and extortion case against him, claims it’s “false”. Told to hand over his passport to the police and not to travel abroad without the court’s nod, he says, “As far as my passport is concerned, my lawyers are taking care of it. Whatever the case is, it is false,” Remo adds.