Happy Birthday, Mummy Farah!

[soniya]

Farah started out as an assistant director on Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar but had to fill in the very busy Saroj Khan's shoes one day to choreograph Pehla Nasha. The song had a very relaxed and natural feel to it and focused only on the actors in the song, which was a whiff of fresh air in those days of loud set pieces with back up dancers and jhatkas and matkas.

She has choreographed 73 films so far. Memorable ones include: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, Dil Chahta Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, 1942 A Love Story, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil Toh Pagal hai, Phir Bhi Dil hai Hindustani, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya, Krrish, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Monsoon Wedding, Don, Jaan-e-Mann, Om Shanti Om, Desi Girl from Dostana, the item songs from Billu Barber, Kaal, Shakti and all the songs in Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om.


Farah was also nominated for a Tony Award for her work on Andrew Lloyd Webbers's musical Bombay Dreams. She also choreographed belly dancer Shakira for a Bollywood version of Hips Don't Lie for the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006. Farah has won five Filmfare awards and a National Award for choreography. She has also won awards as a director.

Her style of choreography can be described as fun, spontaneous, unique, simple yet lavish and effortless. The set pieces and the steps are always different. The synchronicity is not mechanical, it is real and believable. Some of her famous steps are from songs like Ek pal ka jeena from Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Dard-e-disco and Deewangi from OSO, Desi Girl from Dostana, It's the Time to Disco from Kal Ho Naa Ho and Rukja O Dil Deewane from DDLJ.

Farah is funny man Sajid Khan's sister. She struck a really good friendship with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na so it was no surprise that he produced and acted in her directorial debut: Main Hoon Na which was a smash hit. The opening song Chale Jaise Hawaein featuring Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan was shot in one take only from beginning to end, a first for Hindi cinema. Her film Om Shanti Om is the one of the biggest hits in Indian Cinema and the highest grosser of 2007. In spite of being a woman director, she did not make serious films. Her films are a tribute to Bollywood. She has a fantastic sense of humour and makes light hearted fun of all things Bollywood in her films. She is the first woman director whose films are such huge hits. For Farah, it is all about fun.

She has pretty much retired from choreography and only works for her special friends like Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan.

Farah married Main Hoon Na's editor Shirish Kunder, 15 years her junior in 2004. She gave birth to triplets Czar, Anya and Diva on February 11, 2008. Honey and Daisy Irani are her aunts and Farhan Akhtar is a cousin. Both Farhan and Farah are called Capri-9 because they share the same birthday, 9 January and the same sun sign: Capricorn.

Currently judging Nach Baliye with Arjun Rampal and Karisma Kapoor, Farah is all set to return with a film called Happy New Year and a talk show called Oh! Farah. We wish this fun-loving choreographer, director, mother and judge a very Happy Birthday.