Longinus Fernandes: Aishwarya Rai lets you have the upper hand while working

After doing his thing in a string of Bollywood films and prancing around with a bevy of Bollywood babes, Longi – as he is called – gets into the groove with controversial Pakistani sex-bomb Veena Malik

Longinus Fernandes taught Veena Malik some sensual salsa moves recently for an endorsement. And even while he can’t stop raving about her dancing skills, we make sure we get into a hearty chat with the talented choreographer whose claim-to-fame list is getting longer with every passing day. And though he’s had the chance to work with the crème-de-la-crème of the industry, he seems most fascinated with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, with whom he worked in Guzaarish. “Ash lets you have the upper hand while working. Her greatness is that she’s willing to learn and that’s a very rare quality in people,” he says, a tinge of admiration in his voice.

What does he think of the current state of Bollywood dancing? “It has already been refined to another level. People in India are right up there. Although people in the West still have the ‘ta thaiya’ image in the back of their minds, I am glad that I could bring about a  small change with Jai ho (Slumdog Millionaire),” says Longi.