Remo D'Souza (born Ramesh Gopi Nair; 2 April 1974), is an Indian choreographer, actor, film director and producer, based in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. He is best known for his works in ''
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar. It stars Ranbi ...
'' (2014) and ''
Bajirao Mastani
''Bajirao Mastani'' is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romance film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who co-produced it with Eros International and composed its soundtrack. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priy ...
'' (2016). In a career span of more than 25 years, D'Souza has choreographed more than
100 films. He is one of the successful and renowned choreographers in the
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
industry and has been a
role model
A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. The term ''role model'' is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, who hypothesized that individuals compare themselves ...
to many Indian choreographers. He has also been a judge in the dance reality show ''
Dance Plus
''Dance Plus'' (tagline: ''Ise Kehte Hain Dance'') is an Indian Hindi-language reality dance competition television series produced by Frames Production house and Urban Brew Studios. The seasons hosted by Raghav Juyal. The series features danc ...
'' for six consecutive seasons.
Personal life
D'Souza hails from
Olavakkode
Olavakkode is a region in Palakkad city, Kerala, India. It is composed of two main areas: the Kavilpad and the Railway Colony. Olavakkode is located 4 km from Palakkad city and lies on National Highway 966.It is one of the major suburbs of ...
,
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, born on April 2, 1974, in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
into a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
family as Ramesh Gopi Nair to Gopi Nair, a chef in the
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
, and Madhaviyamma, a housewife. He has an elder brother, Ganesh, and four sisters. D'Souza completed his schooling at the Air Force School,
Jamnagar
Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...
,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
. During his school days, he was an athlete and won prizes in the 100 meter race.
[ Birthdate and birthplace noted at 58 seconds.]
D'Souza studied in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He completed his 12th from there and during his HSC board exam, he realized that he didn't have any interest in studies. He immediately left school and went to Mumbai, but his father wanted him to join the Indian Air Force. Whatever he has learned about dance until now is on his own. He learned to dance by watching movies, music videos, etc. He would rather say Michael Jackson is his guru as he used to copy his steps watching his dance on the television and then choreograph his own steps by adding something extra.
D'Souza is married to Lizelle Watkins (now D'Souza), an
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian people fall into two different groups: those with mixed Indian and British ancestry, and people of British descent born or residing in India. The latter sense is now mainly historical, but confusions can arise. The ''Oxford English ...
from
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
and converted to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, he then changed his name to Remo D'Souza. Lizelle is a costume designer who has designed costumes for many television shows. They have two sons, Dhruv and Gabriel. Currently D'Souza lives with his family, in
Andheri West
Andheri ( n̪d̪ʱeɾiː is a locality in the western part of the city of Mumbai in India. Udayanagari, the name of a hill near the Mahakali caves, inspired the name Andheri. On the former islet of Versova, also known as Vasave, there was ano ...
,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. She also works with him and helps him in various projects.
On 11 December 2020, D'Souza suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the ICU of Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai. Soon, he recovered and got discharged.
Career
D'Souza is a choreographer in Bollywood films and music videos. He has choreographed a number of films. Remo made his television debut with the dance reality show ''
Dance India Dance
''Dance India Dance'' (also called by the acronym ''DID''; tagline: ''Dance Ka Asli ID D.I.D.'') is an Indian Hindi-language dance competition reality television series that airs on Zee TV, created and produced by Essel Vision Productions. It ...
'' (DID) along with choreographer
Terence Lewis and
Geeta Kapoor
Geeta Kapoor is an Indian choreographer and television personality. Currently she is judging “India’s Best Dancer”, a dance reality show on Sony TV along with Malaika Arora and Terence Lewis.
Career
Kapoor started her career when she join ...
as judges and mentors. They trained 18 contestants in dance form of
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
,
acrobatics
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...
,
mid-air dancing,
contemporary
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
,
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
and
hip-hop. He made his directorial debut with the comedy film ''
F.A.L.T.U
''F.A.L.T.U'' (short for ''Fakirchand and Lakirchand Trust University'', ) is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Remo D'Souza and produced by Vashu Bhagnani, under the banner Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd. Its plot is heavil ...
'', which received a positive response from critics.
Remo's next directorial venture was the coming-of-age
3D dance-based film ''
ABCD: Any Body Can Dance'' which starring
Prabhu Deva
Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada language films. In a career spanning 32 years, he has performed and designed a ...
,
Dharmesh Yelande
Dharmesh Yelande (born 31 October 1983), popularly known as D-sir, is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television personality.
Career
Yelande participated in ''Dance India Dance'' (2009–2010), ''Dance India Dance Li'l Masters'' (201 ...
,
Lauren Gottlieb
Lauren Gottlieb (born June 8, 1988) is an American dancer and actress who works mainly in the Indian film industry. She was a contestant on the third season of the reality dance competition ''So You Think You Can Dance'' and played the lead role ...
,
Salman Yusuff Khan
Salman Yusuff Khan (born 12 June 1985) is an Indian dancer, actor, choreographer and television judge. He participated in and emerged as winner of ''Dance India Dance, Dance India Dance 1''. He also participated in ''Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khi ...
and
Punit Pathak
Punit Jayesh Pathak (born 1 November 1986), is an Indian dancer, choreographer and actor. In 2019, he participated in Colors TV's '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9'' and emerged as the winner.
Personal life
Pathak was born on 1 November 198 ...
. ''ABCD'' received positive reviews from critics and the film's soundtrack also received positive response from critics.
In 2015, Remo directed the second installment of the ''ABCD'' franchise, titled ''
Disney's ABCD 2''. It stars
Varun Dhawan
Varun Dhawan (; born 24 April 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. One of India's highest-paid actors, he has been featured in '' Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2014. He has starred in 11 consecutive box-office successes ...
,
Shraddha Kapoor
Shraddha Kapoor (born 3 March 1987 or 1989[Prabhu Deva
Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada language films. In a career spanning 32 years, he has performed and designed a ...](_blank)
,
Raghav Juyal
Raghav Juyal (born 10 July 1991) is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television presenter. He is known as the "''King of Slow Motion"'' for his surreal dance moves in slow motion style and for his reinvention of the "''Slow Motion Walk ...
,
Lauren Gottlieb
Lauren Gottlieb (born June 8, 1988) is an American dancer and actress who works mainly in the Indian film industry. She was a contestant on the third season of the reality dance competition ''So You Think You Can Dance'' and played the lead role ...
,
Dharmesh Yelande
Dharmesh Yelande (born 31 October 1983), popularly known as D-sir, is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television personality.
Career
Yelande participated in ''Dance India Dance'' (2009–2010), ''Dance India Dance Li'l Masters'' (201 ...
and
Punit Pathak
Punit Jayesh Pathak (born 1 November 1986), is an Indian dancer, choreographer and actor. In 2019, he participated in Colors TV's '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9'' and emerged as the winner.
Personal life
Pathak was born on 1 November 198 ...
, the film explores the career journey of Suresh and Vernon of the "fictitious dance crew"
Kings United India, who went on to win the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in San Diego. The film received positive reviews from critics and the film's soundtrack also received a positive response from critics.
Later, he appeared on of ''
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa
''Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'' is an Indian Hindi-language reality television show and the Indian version of BBC's '' Strictly Come Dancing'' and '' Dancing with the Stars''. The show pairs celebrities with professional dancers. Each couple performs pr ...
'' with the Indian actress
Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit Nene (née Dixit; born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. A leading actress of Indian cinema, she has appeared in over 70 films. Noted by critics for her beauty, dancing skills, and characters, ...
and director
Karan Johar
Karan Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo in the Hindi Film Industry, is an Indian filmmaker and television personality, who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several s ...
. He was also the "super judge" on the prime time dance show ''
Dance Plus
''Dance Plus'' (tagline: ''Ise Kehte Hain Dance'') is an Indian Hindi-language reality dance competition television series produced by Frames Production house and Urban Brew Studios. The seasons hosted by Raghav Juyal. The series features danc ...
'' on
Star Plus
StarPlus is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The network's programming consists of family dramas, comedies, ...
, along with host
Raghav Juyal
Raghav Juyal (born 10 July 1991) is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television presenter. He is known as the "''King of Slow Motion"'' for his surreal dance moves in slow motion style and for his reinvention of the "''Slow Motion Walk ...
and team captains
Dharmesh Yelande
Dharmesh Yelande (born 31 October 1983), popularly known as D-sir, is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television personality.
Career
Yelande participated in ''Dance India Dance'' (2009–2010), ''Dance India Dance Li'l Masters'' (201 ...
,
Shakti Mohan
Shakti Mohan is an Indian dancer, choreographer and television personality. She is the winner of Zee TV's dance reality show '' Dance India Dance 2''. She is a judge and captain of Indian Reality shows like '' Dance plus season'
Career
Follow ...
, and
Punit Pathak
Punit Jayesh Pathak (born 1 November 1986), is an Indian dancer, choreographer and actor. In 2019, he participated in Colors TV's '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9'' and emerged as the winner.
Personal life
Pathak was born on 1 November 198 ...
.
In 2016, Remo directed ''
A Flying Jatt
''A Flying Jatt'' is a 2016 Indian superhero film co-written and directed by Remo D'Souza and produced under the banner of Balaji Motion Pictures. It features Tiger Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nathan Jones in the lead roles. ''A Flying ...
'', It was released on 24 August 2016, which starring
Tiger Shroff
Jai Hemant "Tiger" Shroff (born 2 March 1990) is an Indian actor and martial artist known for his work in the Indian cinema. He is best known for his Baaghi action franchise, ''Heropanti'' (2014) and ''War'' (''2019''). He has featured in For ...
,
Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez (born 11 August 1985) is a Sri Lankan actress and model. She has worked in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi, besides appearing in reality shows and music videos. Debuting with ''Aladin'' in 2009 she has since then es ...
, and
Nathan Jones. The film tells the story of an ordinary man (Shroff) who gains superpowers. The film received mixed reviews from critics and
Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
from the
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
gave the film 1.5 stars out of 5 and said "The first half of A Flying Jatt has moments of fun – I loved that despite being a superhero he has a fear of heights, so he flies very close to the ground. But post-interval, laughter takes a back seat.
Later, he judged the of ''
Dance Plus
''Dance Plus'' (tagline: ''Ise Kehte Hain Dance'') is an Indian Hindi-language reality dance competition television series produced by Frames Production house and Urban Brew Studios. The seasons hosted by Raghav Juyal. The series features danc ...
'' along with host
Raghav Juyal
Raghav Juyal (born 10 July 1991) is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television presenter. He is known as the "''King of Slow Motion"'' for his surreal dance moves in slow motion style and for his reinvention of the "''Slow Motion Walk ...
and team captains
Dharmesh Yelande
Dharmesh Yelande (born 31 October 1983), popularly known as D-sir, is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television personality.
Career
Yelande participated in ''Dance India Dance'' (2009–2010), ''Dance India Dance Li'l Masters'' (201 ...
,
Shakti Mohan
Shakti Mohan is an Indian dancer, choreographer and television personality. She is the winner of Zee TV's dance reality show '' Dance India Dance 2''. She is a judge and captain of Indian Reality shows like '' Dance plus season'
Career
Follow ...
, and
Punit Pathak
Punit Jayesh Pathak (born 1 November 1986), is an Indian dancer, choreographer and actor. In 2019, he participated in Colors TV's '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9'' and emerged as the winner.
Personal life
Pathak was born on 1 November 198 ...
. He then appeared as a judge on the reality show ''
Dance Champions
''Dance Champions'' is a dance competition reality television series that was telecasted on 30 September 2017, on Star Plus. This show is produced by Urban Brew. This dance show divides the contestants into few teams which are mentored by a p ...
'' opposite
Terence Lewis.
He also directed ''
Race 3
''Race 3 ''is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language action crime film directed by Remo D'Souza and Written by Kiran Kotrial and Shiraz Ahmed, produced under Tips Industries and Salman Khan Films. The film features Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, ...
'' the film featured
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
,
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi films, besides television and international films and television. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a producer, Kapo ...
,
Bobby Deol
Vijay Singh Deol (born 27 January 1967) popularly known as Bobby Deol, is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema and web series. A member of the List of Hindi film families#Deol family, Deol family, he is the younger son of veteran actor Dhar ...
,
Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez (born 11 August 1985) is a Sri Lankan actress and model. She has worked in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi, besides appearing in reality shows and music videos. Debuting with ''Aladin'' in 2009 she has since then es ...
,
Daisy Shah
Daisy Shah (born 25 August 1984) is an Indian actress, model and dancer who primarily appears in Hindi and Kannada films. She has worked as an assistant to choreographer Ganesh Acharya. Her first breakthrough came when she was selected to play ...
,
Saqib Saleem
Saqib Saleem Qureshi (; born 8 April 1988) is an Indian film actor and model who works in the Hindi film industry. He worked as a model before beginning his film career. After moving to Mumbai, Saqib appeared in several advertisements. While do ...
and
Freddy Daruwala
Freddy Daruwala (born 1983/1984) is an Indian model and actor based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, predominantly known for his roles as the Sleeper Cell's Head opposite Akshay Kumar in the Bollywood film ''Holiday''. He has starred in over 12 films a ...
. Race 3 was an internationally mounted saga of a family that deals in borderline crime. It was released on 15 June 2018 coinciding with
Eid Though the movie received negative reviews, it was a box office success collecting over ₹178.98 crores in India and approximately ₹303 crores worldwide.
D'Souza judged of ''
Dance Plus
''Dance Plus'' (tagline: ''Ise Kehte Hain Dance'') is an Indian Hindi-language reality dance competition television series produced by Frames Production house and Urban Brew Studios. The seasons hosted by Raghav Juyal. The series features danc ...
'' along with host
Raghav Juyal
Raghav Juyal (born 10 July 1991) is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television presenter. He is known as the "''King of Slow Motion"'' for his surreal dance moves in slow motion style and for his reinvention of the "''Slow Motion Walk ...
,
Sugandha Mishra and team captains
Dharmesh Yelande
Dharmesh Yelande (born 31 October 1983), popularly known as D-sir, is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television personality.
Career
Yelande participated in ''Dance India Dance'' (2009–2010), ''Dance India Dance Li'l Masters'' (201 ...
,
Shakti Mohan
Shakti Mohan is an Indian dancer, choreographer and television personality. She is the winner of Zee TV's dance reality show '' Dance India Dance 2''. She is a judge and captain of Indian Reality shows like '' Dance plus season'
Career
Follow ...
, Suresh Mukund , Karishma Chawan , and
Punit Pathak
Punit Jayesh Pathak (born 1 November 1986), is an Indian dancer, choreographer and actor. In 2019, he participated in Colors TV's '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9'' and emerged as the winner.
Personal life
Pathak was born on 1 November 198 ...
.
In 2020, Remo directed the third installment of ABCD Franchise titled
''''
Street Dancer 3D
''Street Dancer 3D'' is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language dance film directed by Remo D'Souza and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Divya Khosla Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Lizelle D'Souza under the banners of T-Series and R.D. Entertainment. The film stars ...
'' which retained some of original casts including
Varun Dhawan
Varun Dhawan (; born 24 April 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. One of India's highest-paid actors, he has been featured in '' Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2014. He has starred in 11 consecutive box-office successes ...
,
Shraddha Kapoor
Shraddha Kapoor (born 3 March 1987 or 1989[Prabhu Deva
Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada language films. In a career spanning 32 years, he has performed and designed a ...](_blank)
,
Raghav Juyal
Raghav Juyal (born 10 July 1991) is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television presenter. He is known as the "''King of Slow Motion"'' for his surreal dance moves in slow motion style and for his reinvention of the "''Slow Motion Walk ...
,
Dharmesh Yelande
Dharmesh Yelande (born 31 October 1983), popularly known as D-sir, is an Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and television personality.
Career
Yelande participated in ''Dance India Dance'' (2009–2010), ''Dance India Dance Li'l Masters'' (201 ...
,
Punit Pathak
Punit Jayesh Pathak (born 1 November 1986), is an Indian dancer, choreographer and actor. In 2019, he participated in Colors TV's '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9'' and emerged as the winner.
Personal life
Pathak was born on 1 November 198 ...
and added
Nora Fatehi
Nora Fatehi (born 6 February 1992) is a Canadian actress, model, dancer, singer, and producer who is predominantly known for her work in the Indian film industry. She has appeared in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films.
She made her debut ...
,
Salman Yusuff Khan
Salman Yusuff Khan (born 12 June 1985) is an Indian dancer, actor, choreographer and television judge. He participated in and emerged as winner of ''Dance India Dance, Dance India Dance 1''. He also participated in ''Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khi ...
and
Vartika Jha
Vartika Jha (born 8 April 2000) is an Indian dancer, choreographer and actress. She was a contestant and runner-up in Star Plus's dance reality show ''Dance Plus (season 4)'' in 2018.
Personal life
Jha was born to Arvind Kumar Jha, an operator ...
. The film tells the story of two rival dance groups, despise each other and participate in a dance battle. Later, they decide to join hands for a greater cause. It was released on 24 January 2020 and received positive reviews from critics. The film has a worldwide gross collection of ₹97 crores and the film's soundtrack also received a positive response from critics.
Awards
Filmography
Choreography
Television
Music videos
Here are the music videos directed by Remo
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Souza, Remo
Indian choreographers
1974 births
Living people
Indian male dancers
Popping dancers
Dancers from Karnataka
Artists from Bangalore
Best Choreography National Film Award winners