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Renowned choreographer-turned-director Remo D’Souza aims to break free from the dance-film stereotype with Be Happy, a...
Read More Renowned choreographer-turned-director Remo D’Souza has long been associated with dance films, but he’s now looking to change that perception. Having started his journey in the film industry as a dancer and choreographer with projects like Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and Saathiya, he eventually stepped into direction with Faltu, a film far removed from dance. Now, as he ventures into the OTT space with Be Happy, a heartwarming father-daughter drama with dance as an element rather than the focus, he addresses the misconception that it’s another dance-centric film.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Remo explained that dance was never his comfort zone when it came to filmmaking. If it had been, his first film would have been about dance. Instead, he started with Faltu, an educational drama that had no connection to dance whatsoever.
It was only after his stint as a judge on a dance reality show that he realized dance films were largely unexplored in India, leading him to make the ABCD series. While ABCD and its sequel ABCD 2 were massive hits, their success also led to Remo being typecast as a dance filmmaker. Despite directing films outside the genre, including the superhero flick A Flying Jatt and the action-packed Race 3, he found himself consistently labeled as a dance film director.
He acknowledged how the industry tends to box filmmakers into certain categories, making it difficult to break free from a specific image. Clarifying the nature of Be Happy, Remo described it as an emotional story about a father and daughter, where dance plays a secondary role rather than driving the narrative. The film, starring Abhishek Bachchan, follows a father who reluctantly learns to dance to support his daughter’s dream.
According to Remo, the film’s essence lies in its emotions, with dance serving as an organic part of the storyline rather than the main focus. He also shared a personal perspective on parenthood, noting that despite being a public figure, at home, he is just a father. This dynamic gave him a deeper understanding of the film’s central relationship.
Be Happy, which also features Nora Fatehi and Nassar, is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on March 14, 2025..
