"I am hale & hearty," Saroj Khan shoots down illness rumours, to shoot an item song for Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Contrary to rumours of ill-health Saroj Khan is all set to face one of her career’s biggest challenges. She would be doing a song and dance for Ram Leela on a scale that leaves behind Maar daala, the song-and-dance Saroj Khan did with Madhuri Dixit for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. “Who’s spreading rumours about me being unwell?” fumes choreographer Saroj Khan when I call her up to ask about her health. For the last few days the print media and internet have been abuzz with rumours of Saroj Khan being “critically ill” and hospitalized. The inimitable choreographer can’t get over the false rumour. “I am doing fine and I don’t know why my well-wishers so badly want me to be unwell. Allah na kare main beemaar padoon (God forbid I fall ill).” Pressurize her to reveal who could’ve spread these rumours and Saroj Khan sighs, “Nowadays there’s a huge demand for sensationalism in the media. Putting a well-known entertainer on a hospital bed makes instant news. But I am sorry, I am not obliging the sensation-mongers by falling ill.” The news is that Saroj Khan would be choreographing an item song for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela. The last time they worked together was when Saroj choreographed Madhuri Dixit’s Maar daala number in Devdas. Thereafter the two of them tried to get together on a number of occasions without success.