# Remo D'Souza

Remo D'Souza (born Ramesh Gopi Nair; 2 April 1974), is an Indian choreographer, film director, and producer. Over the course of his career spanning more than 25 years, D'Souza has choreographed more than 100 films. He is considered the most successful and renowned choreographer in the Bollywood industry and has served as a role model for many Indian choreographers. Additionally, he has been a judge on the dance reality show Dance Plus for seven consecutive seasons.

## Early and personal life

D'Souza hails from Olavakkode, Palakkad, Kerala, born on 2 April 1974, in Bangalore into a Hindu family as Ramesh Gopi Nair to Gopi Nair, a NC(E) in the Indian Air Force, and Madhaviyamma, a housewife. He has an elder brother, Ganesh, and four sisters. During his school days, he was an athlete and won prizes in the 100 meter race.
D'Souza completed his schooling at the Air Force School, Jamnagar, Gujarat. He completed his 12th from there and during his HSC board exam, he realized that he didn't have any interest in studies. He immediately left school and went to Mumbai, but his father wanted him to join the Indian Air Force. Whatever he has learned about dance until now is on his own. He learned to dance by watching movies, music videos, etc. He would rather say Michael Jackson is his guru as he used to copy his steps watching his dance on the television and then choreograph his own steps by adding something extra.
D'Souza is married to Lizelle Watkins (now D'Souza), an Anglo-Indian from Mumbai. After converting to Christianity, he changed his name to Remo D'Souza. Lizelle is a costume designer who has worked on various television shows, designing costumes. The couple has two sons named Dhruv and Gabriel. Currently, D'Souza and his family reside in Andheri West, Mumbai. Lizelle also collaborates with him and assists him in various projects.
On 11 December 2020, D'Souza suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the ICU of Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai. Soon, he recovered and got discharged.

## Career

D'Souza is a choreographer in Bollywood films and music videos. He has choreographed a number of films. Remo made his television debut with the dance reality show Dance India Dance (DID) along with choreographer Terence Lewis and Geeta Kapoor as judges and mentors. They trained 18 contestants in dance form of ballet, acrobatics, mid-air dancing, contemporary, Bollywood and hip-hop. He made his directorial debut with the comedy film F.A.L.T.U, which received a positive response from critics.
Remo's next directorial venture was the coming-of-age 3D dance-based film ABCD: Any Body Can Dance which starring Prabhu Deva, Dharmesh Yelande, Lauren Gottlieb, Salman Yusuff Khan and Punit Pathak. ABCD received positive reviews from critics and the film's soundtrack also received positive response from critics.
In 2015, Remo directed the second installment of the ABCD franchise, titled Disney's ABCD 2. It stars Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Raghav Juyal, Lauren Gottlieb, Dharmesh Yelande and Punit Pathak, the film explores the career journey of Suresh and Vernon of the "fictitious dance crew" Kings United India, who went on to win the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in San Diego. The film received positive reviews from critics and the film's soundtrack also received a positive response from critics.
Later, he appeared on (season 4–7) of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa with the Indian actress Madhuri Dixit and director Karan Johar. He was also the "super judge" on the prime time dance show Dance Plus on Star Plus, along with host Raghav Juyal and team captains Dharmesh Yelande, Shakti Mohan, and Punit Pathak.
In 2016, Remo directed A Flying Jatt, It was released on 24 August 2016, which starring Tiger Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Nathan Jones. The film tells the story of an ordinary man (Shroff) who gains superpowers. The film received mixed reviews from critics and Anupama Chopra from the Hindustan Times gave the film 1.5 stars out of 5 and said "The first half of A Flying Jatt has moments of fun – I loved that despite being a superhero he has a fear of heights, so he flies very close to the ground. But post-interval, laughter takes a back seat.
Later, he judged the (season 2–3) of Dance Plus along with host Raghav Juyal and team captains Dharmesh Yelande, Shakti Mohan, and Punit Pathak. He then appeared as a judge on the reality show Dance Champions opposite Terence Lewis.
He also directed Race 3 the film featured Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem and Freddy Daruwala. Race 3 was an internationally mounted saga of a family that deals in borderline crime. It was released on 15 June 2018 coinciding with Eid Though the movie received negative reviews, it was a box office success collecting over ₹178.98 crores in India and approximately ₹303 crores worldwide.
D'Souza judged (season 4-5) of Dance Plus along with host Raghav Juyal, Sugandha Mishra (co-host on season 4 and guest in season 5) and team captains Dharmesh Yelande, Shakti Mohan (season 4), Suresh Mukund (season 5 and to be continued), Karishma Chawan (season 5 and to be continued), and Punit Pathak.
In 2020, Remo directed the third installment of ABCD Franchise titled Street Dancer 3D which retained some of original casts including Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Raghav Juyal, Dharmesh Yelande, Punit Pathak and added Nora Fatehi, Salman Yusuff Khan and Vartika Jha. The film tells the story of two rival dance groups, despise each other and participate in a dance battle. Later, they decide to join hands for a greater cause. It was released on 24 January 2020 and received positive reviews from critics. The film has a worldwide gross collection of ₹102 crores and the film's soundtrack also received a positive response from critics.

## Awards

Film awards :
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result |
| 2004 | Tehzeeb | Zee Cine Awards | Best Choreography | Nominated |
| 2011 | Enthiran | Vijay Awards | Best Find of the Year | Won |
| 2013 | Student of the Year | Zee Cine Awards | Best Choreography (For the song "Disco Deewane") | Nominated |
| 2014 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | Screen Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Badtameez Dil") | Won |
| 2014 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | Zee Cine Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Badtameez Dil") | Won |
| 2014 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | International Indian Film Academy Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Badtameez Dil") | Won |
| 2014 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | Producer's Guild Film Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Badtameez Dil") | Won |
| 2014 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | Producer's Guild Film Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Balam Pichkari") | Won |
| 2016 | Anybody Can Dance 2 | BIG Star Entertainment Awards | Most Entertaining Social Film | Won |
| 2016 | Anybody Can Dance 2 | Stardust Awards | Best Choreography (for all songs of ABCD 2) | Won |
| 2016 | Anybody Can Dance 2 | Screen Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Sunn Saathiya") | Won |
| 2016 | Bajirao Mastani | 63rd National Film Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Deewani Mastani") | Won |
| 2016 | Bajirao Mastani | International Indian Film Academy Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Deewani Mastani") | Won |
| 2016 | Bajirao Mastani | Producer's Guild Film Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Pinga") | Won |
| 2016 | Bajirao Mastani | Producer's Guild Film Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Deewani Mastani") | Nominated |
| 2016 | Bajirao Mastani | Zee Cine Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Deewani Mastani") | Nominated |
| 2016 | Bajirao Mastani | 64th Filmfare Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Deewani Mastani") | Nominated |
| 2016 | Bajirao Mastani | 64th Filmfare Awards | Best Choreography (for the song "Pinga") | Nominated |
| 2020 | Kalank | 65th Filmfare Awards | Best Choreography (For the song "Ghar More Pardesiya") | Won |
Television awards :
| Year | Show | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
| 2013 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa | Colors Golden Petal Awards | Best Non-Fiction Judge | Nominated | |

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Actor | Notes |
| 1997 | Pardes | N | N | Y | a small role in a song meri mehbooba |
| 1997 | Aflatoon | N | N | Y | |
| 2004 | Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities | N | N | Y | |
| 2007 | Lal Pahare'r Katha | Y | N | N | |
| 2011 | F.A.L.T.U | Y | N | N | |
| 2013 | ABCD: Any Body Can Dance | Y | N | N | |
| 2014 | DOA Death of Amar | N | Y | N | |
| 2014 | Entertainment | N | N | Y | |
| 2015 | ABCD 2 | Y | N | N | |
| 2016 | A Flying Jatt | Y | Y | N | |
| 2018 | Race 3 | Y | N | N | |
| 2018 | Nawabzaade | N | Y | N | |
| 2018 | Zero | N | N | Y | |
| 2020 | Street Dancer 3D | Y | Y | N | |
| 2021 | Time to Dance | N | Y | N | |
| 2024 | Madgaon Express | N | N | Y | Dr.Danny, special appearance |
| 2025 | Be Happy | Y | N | N | Amazon Prime Original |

## Choreography

| Year | Film(s) | Notes |
| 1995 | |Debut as videographer |
| 2000 | Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar | |
| 2001 | Tum Bin | |
| 2001 | Ehsaas: The Feeling | |
| 2002 | Pitaah | |
| 2002 | Aankhen | |
| 2002 | Chhal | |
| 2002 | Road | |
| 2002 | Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai? | |
| 2002 | Kaante | |
| 2002 | Saathiya | |
| 2003 | Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai | |
| 2003 | Stumped | |
| 2003 | Qayamat: City Under Threat | |
| 2003 | Janashen | |
| 2003 | Mumbai Matinee | |
| 2003 | Tehzeeb | |
| 2003 | Wrong Number | |
| 2003 | Chameli | |
| 2004 | Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities | |
| 2004 | Bardaasht | |
| 2004 | Asambhav | |
| 2004 | Dhoom | |
| 2004 | Popcorn Khao! Mast Ho Jao | |
| 2004 | Daag - Shades of Love | |
| 2005 | Shabd | |
| 2005 | Lucky: No Time for Love | |
| 2005 | Naam Gum Jaayega | |
| 2005 | Waqt: The Race Against Time | |
| 2005 | Jo Bole So Nihaal | |
| 2005 | Chocolate | |
| 2005 | Koi Aap Sa | |
| 2005 | Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena | |
| 2005 | Apaharan | |
| 2006 | Aksar | |
| 2006 | Fight Club - Members Only | |
| 2006 | 36 China Town | |
| 2006 | Ankahee | |
| 2006 | Alag: He Is Different.... He Is Alone... | |
| 2006 | Bas Ek Pal | |
| 2006 | Anthony Kaun Hai? | |
| 2006 | Jaane Hoga Kya | |
| 2006 | Dil Diya Hai | |
| 2006 | Pyaar Ke Side Effects | |
| 2006 | Rocky - The Rebel | |
| 2006 | Hota Hai Dil Pyaar Mein Paagal | |
| 2006 | Apna Sapna Money Money | |
| 2006 | Aryan | |
| 2006 | Tom Dick And Harry | |
| 2007 | Marigold | |
| 2007 | Just Married | |
| 2007 | Delhii Heights | |
| 2007 | Good Boy, Bad Boy | |
| 2007 | The Train | |
| 2007 | MP3: Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar | |
| 2007 | Awarapan | |
| 2007 | Cash | |
| 2007 | Darling | |
| 2007 | Chhodon Naa Yaar | |
| 2007 | Speed | |
| 2007 | Main Rony Aur Jony | |
| 2008 | Mithya | |
| 2008 | Singh Is Kinng | |
| 2008 | Bhoothnath | |
| 2008 | De Taali | |
| 2008 | Mission Istaanbul | |
| 2008 | Ugly Aur Pagli | |
| 2008 | Rock On!! | |
| 2008 | Hijack | |
| 2008 | Kidnap | |
| 2008 | Sorry Bhai! | |
| 2008 | Maharathi | |
| 2009 | The Stoneman Murders | |
| 2009 | Kal Kissne Dekha | |
| 2009 | London Dreams | |
| 2009 | Mr. Fraud | |
| 2010 | Enthiran | |
| 2011 | Patiala House | |
| 2011 | F.A.L.T.U | |
| 2011 | Pyaar Ka Punchnama | |
| 2011 | Kucch Luv Jaisaa | |
| 2011 | Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap | |
| 2011 | Stand By | |
| 2011 | Love Breakups Zindagi | |
| 2011 | Loot | |
| 2012 | Student of the Year | |
| 2013 | ABCD: Any Body Can Dance | also director |
| 2013 | Zila Ghaziabad | |
| 2013 | Aurangzeb | |
| 2013 | Besharam | |
| 2013 | Krrish 3 | |
| 2013 | Gori Tere Pyaar Mein | |
| 2013 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | |
| 2014 | Dedh Ishqiya | |
| 2014 | 2 States | |
| 2014 | Jai Ho | |
| 2014 | Entertainment | |
| 2014 | O Teri | |
| 2014 | Familywala | |
| 2015 | Tevar | |
| 2015 | ABCD 2 | also director |
| 2015 | Bajrangi Bhaijaan | |
| 2015 | Bajirao Mastani | |
| 2015 | Dilwale | |
| 2016 | A Flying Jatt | also director |
| 2018 | Race 3 | Also director |
| 2018 | Zero | |
| 2019 | Kalank | |
| 2019 | Student of the Year 2 | |
| 2020 | Street Dancer 3D | also director |
| 2021 | Time To Dance | also producer |

## Television

| Year | Show | Note(s) |
| 2009 | Dance India Dance (season 1) | Judge |
| 2009 | Dance India Dance (season 2) | Judge |
| 2010 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 | Judge |
| 2010 | Dance India Dance Doubles | Guest Judge |
| 2011 | Dance Ke Superstars | Judge |
| 2011 | Dance India Dance (season 3) | Judge |
| 2012 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5 | Judge |
| 2012 | Comedy Circus Ke Ajoobe | Guest |
| 2012 | Nach Baliye 5 | Guest & Judge |
| 2013 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6 | Judge |
| 2014 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7 | Judge |
| 2015 | Dance Plus | Judge |
| 2016 | Dance Plus 2 | Judge |
| 2017 | Dance Plus (season 3) | Judge |
| 2017 | Dance Champions | Judge |
| 2018 | Dance Plus (season 4) | Judge |
| 2019 | Dance Plus 5 | Judge |
| 2020 | India's Best Dancer | Guest/Judge |
| 2021 | Dance Dance Junior Season 2 | Guest Judge (Grand Finale) |
| 2021 | Dance Plus 6 | Judge |
| 2022 | DID Little Master (Season 5) | Grand Master |
| 2022 | DID Super Moms | Grand Master |
| 2023 | India's best dancer (Season 3) | Guest judge |
| 2023 | Hip hop india | Judge |
| 2023 | Dance plus pro | Super Judge |

## Music videos

Here are the music videos directed by Remo
| Year | Song | Singer |
| 2015 | GF BF Song | Gurinder Seagal, Jacqueline Fernandez |
| 2017 | Baby Marvake Maanegi | Raftaar |
| 2018 | Main Hua Tera | Avitesh Shrivastava |
| 2019 | The Chamiya Song | DJ Bravo, Rimi Nique, Gaurav Dagaonkar |
| 2020 | Swag Se Solo | Sachet Sandon, Tanishk Bagchi |
| 2020 | Saaton Janam | Ishan Khan, Shambhavi Thakur |
| 2020 | Dil Na Todunga | Abhi Dutt |
| 2020 | Baby Girl | Guru Randhawa, Dhvani Bhanushali |
| 2020 | Log Kya Kahenge | Abhinav Shekhar |
| 2021 | Vande Mataram | Tiger Shroff |
| 2022 | Nach Babe | Sunny Leone | Performer |