Saroj Khan’s dancer fell on Karisma Kapoor, angry actor walked out; they never worked together again | Bollywood News
3 min readNew DelhiMay 18, 2026 06:58 PM When Dil To Pagal Hai was being cast, several leading actresses reportedly refused to work opposite Madhuri Dixit, who was then considered one of Bollywood’s finest dancers. However, Karisma Kapoor took up the challenge without hesitation and went on to deliver one of the most memorable performances of her career. Ironically, the same actress later reportedly locked horns with legendary choreographer Saroj Khan — Madhuri Dixit’s dance guru — following an on-set incident, after which the two never worked together again.
In an interview with Bollywood Thikana, dancer Rubina Khan, who closely worked with Saroj Khan, recalled several behind-the-scenes incidents involving actors and their interactions with the late choreographer.
Recalling one such incident involving Karisma Kapoor, Rubina shared, “One time, Karisma Kapoor was shooting a song with Saroj Khan. In that song, there was a sequence where the actors had to run and stop at a particular spot. The set had a tree, and according to the sequence, some boys and girls were hiding on it. During the shot, one of the branches broke and a boy who was hiding there accidentally fell on Karisma Kapoor. She got hurt.”
Rubina further revealed that the situation escalated quickly. “Karisma became extremely angry. She started yelling and abusing him. She called him an idiot. This behaviour upset Saroj Khan because she was always very protective of her team. Saroj ji immediately intervened and told Karisma that she could not behave like that. The boy had not done it intentionally, and he had apologised too. But Karisma refused to continue shooting and walked out of the set, which was understandable. After that, Saroj Khan never worked with Karisma Kapoor again,” she claimed.
ALSO READ | Peddi trailer: Ram Charan’s ‘crossover athlete’ is answer to India’s Olympic woes. Watch
While Saroj Khan never publicly spoke about the alleged fallout, Karisma Kapoor paid an emotional tribute to the legendary choreographer after her demise in 2020.
Sharing a monochrome picture with Saroj Khan, Karisma wrote, “Saroj Ji, cannot forget the endless hours learning dance and expression from you at Satyam Hall. Your teachings took me a long way. RIP.” She also added the hashtags “Master”, “Teacher” and “Dance Guru.”Story continues below this ad
Kareena Kapoor Khan, too, had fondly remembered Saroj Khan after her passing. Remembering the choreographer’s unique style of teaching, Kareena wrote, “Master ji always told me… ‘Pair nahin chala sakti toh kam se kam face toh chala’ (If you can’t move your feet, at least move your face). That’s what she taught me — to enjoy dancing, smile and smile through the eyes. There can never be another. Dance and expression can never be the same for us actors and for everyone who loved her. Love you Master ji. Till we dance again.”
