Farah Khan explains how 'Dard-E-Disco' came into being
Mumbai, Aug 4
Director-choreographer Farah Khan recently shared how the song 'Dard-E-Disco' came into existence. Farah recently paid a visit to music composer Shekhar Ravjiani at his farmhouse.
During their conversation, the director-choreographer brought up the subject of the song, as she said, "What about 'Dard-E-Disco'. How did you get the idea of 'Dard-E-Disco'? You, me and Vishal were together. There was a party at Sonu Nigam's house. And you all were telling me that Bhushan Kumar is very clear about one thing that there are two types of songs that work the most in India, painful songs and disco songs.
Shekhar said, "So Farah came and said give me a song called 'Dard-E-Disco'".
Farah then said, "Correct. And then from there we took it to Javed uncle. And then we gave him all those. San Francisco, 26 ko".
Shekhar chimed in, as he said, "That was all your beauty".
The director added, "And then we told him please write the song as Gulzar sahab would write it".
'Dard-E-Disco' featured in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Om Shanti Om'. The song was crooned by Sukhwinder Singh, with music composed by Vishal-Shekhar and lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It emerged as an instant chartbuster. The song is especially remembered for Shah Rukh Khan's striking physical transformation and charismatic performance, which set new fitness trends in Bollywood. Its vibrant choreography, glamorous visuals and catchy beats made it a staple at parties, award shows and stage performances. Even years later, the song remains a fan favourite and a defining Bollywood dance anthem.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The story behind the song is as entertaining as the song itself! Farah's brainwaves plus Vishal-Shekhar's music, that's a deadly combo. And the way they casually said "San Francisco, 26 ko" to Javed Akhtar—iconic. Bollywood behind-the-scenes stories like these make me love the industry even more.
Honestly, I think they don't make songs like this anymore. Today's music is all remixes and autotune. Dard-E-Disco had raw energy, a proper hook step, and SRK's six-pack that got everyone to the gym. The fact that it's still played at every wedding proves its timelessness. 👌
Farah Khan is such a fun storyteller! The way she narrates these anecdotes makes you feel like you're right there in that farmhouse conversation. Also, credit to Bhushan Kumar for that dua-pain/disco logic—it's so true about the Indian audience. We love a good love song and a great dance number. That's cinema, yaar!
It's nice to see Farah giving credit where it's due. Shekhar and Vishal really outdid themselves on this one. But I must say, a lot of people overlook how tough it is to choreograph a song like that with an entire brigade of dancers. Farah herself deserves kudos for the visuals. SRK was the face, but the team behind was just as amazing.
"Dard-E-Disco" is a genius title
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.