When choreographer Hormuzd Khambata was a boarder at Poona’s J. N. Petit Technical High School, he would look wistfully at the New Year’s Eve party goers at the Blue Diamond (Hotel) across the road. He would then urge fellow students to dance with him in the compound of the School, pretending they were guests at the Hotel. "I just knew one day I would dance there professionally” and he did. His first ever professional engagement was at that very venue many years later. The participants were children from Rustom Baug. He is choreographer and artistic director of Hormuzd Khambata Dance Company and spoke to Parsiana on June 17, 2024 after winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Cine Artist and Technician Award on June 10. "In my profession, the awards one aspires to are the ones for pageants like Miss World… But one cannot underestimate this Award… It is very humbling… It is the entire industry recognizing your worth… Not everyone gets an Award like this… It is amazing that people are looking out for people doing good work… It pushes you to give more… I also feel more responsible towards choreography.”
The eldest son of caterers Ketayun and Bomi Khambata, his father was upset when Hormuzd wanted to drop out of catering college. "Dad was disgusted… He thought I would continue in the family business… And this was after I was featured in the Bombay Times for a college event… The paper referred to me as a better dancer than a cook.” Determined to make it big in the dance world, Hormuzd left home and "literally lived out of a suitcase with my uncle.” He began to teach children and adults at Rustom Baug and Dadar Parsi Colony. He found a space to rehearse in at Christ Church School in exchange for doing an annual day function for them. "Those were my years of struggle,” recalled the self taught dancer.
Hormuzd Khambata (top l) and above, on stage, in maroon waistcoat;
top r: Joanna and Roshina with Hormuzd’s award
In the decade starting 2010, the field was ruled by dance masters Shiamak Davar and Ganesh Hegde. "I did not see any way of competing with them, so I… went south and worked on regional stage shows.” He later choreographed for two seasons of the stage show Laughter in the House; the May Queen Ball "for eight to 10 years;” Holiday Programme for Youth’s silver jubilee; World Zoroastrian Congress, Dubai, 2009; 71st Miss World 2024; ICC cricket World Cup final; International Cricket Council Goa 2023 with cine stars Madhuri Dixit and Shahid Kapoor among others. He also choreographed the curtain raiser for the Oscar winning RRR film with his idol director and screenwriter S. S. Rajamouli ("I just know I am going to work with him again”), television show Bigg Boss, Femina Miss India as well as theatrical shows.
Hormuzd says he owes his success to his mother’s prayers and his father’s blessings, having later made his peace with him. "I owe a lot to my dance company (of about 50) and to my extended dance circle who pitch in when needed.” Wife Roshina has been a "constant backer.” It was she who collected Hormuzd’s award on June 10 as he was away in Spain on an assignment. She manages the Dance Company when assignments clash. "I had to leave the ICC World Cup event to her and rush to Goa where we were doing the Film Festival.” Roshina and Hormuzd are parents to five-year-old Joanna.
The dance master was taught his prayers by grandmother Amy Mistry. "I know my prayers… I can read the Khordeh Avesta very fast…in English script of course… But I do not believe in the concept of ‘manmade religiosity.’” He visits the Siddhivinayak Temple every Tuesday, "ever since the days when things were not working out… I am happier being an Indian” who respects all religions, says the 40ish show-biz man.
During the days of struggle he was "naïve… to expect the sun, moon and the stars… But nothing happens before you are due to get it… Yes, you must have a dream and need to keep the fire burning… What you do while you wait for things to happen is what makes you great.”
The Awards, named after pioneering filmmaker Phalke, known as the father of Indian cinema who made India’s first ever feature film Raja Harishchandra, were sponsored by technical facilities management company Santech Electricals and Technology and Siddhi Television Private Limited. Meant specifically for the technical aspects of filmmaking, this Award is different from The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest accolade in the field of cinema presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals. F. J.