Chinni Prakash

Chinni Prakash Biography

Chinni Prakash is a National award winning choreographer associated with Hindi film industry for nearly 6 decades, except a break of 12 years between 1976 and 1988. In association with choreographer Sampath, he did the choreography of many Bollywood classic movies of 1960s and 1970s, before he marked his independent career. He choreographed some of the most popular Bollywood songs of 1990s, starring Govinda and Akshay Kumar. He also works in Kannada and Telugu films. His wife Rekha Chinni Prakash is also a choreographer of film industry. "Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah" from the movie Jodha Akbar earned him national award for best choreography. Three of his iconic songs earned him Filmfare award - 'Jumma Chumma De De' from Hum (1991), ‘Tu cheez badi hai mast mast’ (Mohra in 1994) and ‘Shehar ki Ladki’ (Rakshak in 1996).

Apart from a dance master, Prakash is also known as an art director, actor, script-writer and director. He directed 1997 film, Ghunghat starring Ayesha Jhulka and Indra Kumar. He has done choreography of many David Dhawan films starring Govinda. For Govinda his dance moves of Coolie No. 1 (1995), Gambler (1995) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) were well appreciated. With Akshay Kumar, he has delivered some amazing works in the 1990s including Khiladi series. Some of their best works together are Khiladi (1992), Mohra (1994), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996) and Keemat (1998) and also Dhadkan (2000).

He fully dominated the scene in the 1990s quite popular for his Bollywood steps. Saajan (1991), Hum (1992), Khuda Gawah (1992), Gumrah (1993), Karan Arjun, Prem released in 1995, Rakshak, Jeet, Krishna, Sapoot, Daraar all released in 1996, Gupt and Ziddi in 1997, Major Saab (1998), Jodi No.1 (2001) etc are a few more works. In the 1990s he remained at the peak of his career, and with early 2000s, his career graph fell down. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Jodha Akbar, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Himmatwala, Daawat-e-Ishq, Krrish 3, Agneepath etc are some of his best works in the recent past.

His mother C. Leela worked in Bollywood films in 1950s. Chinni Prakash got into film industry in the early 1960s. He collaborated with choreographer Sampath for movies such as Ram Aur Shyam (1967), Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1968), and Haathi Mere Saathi (1971). As an individual choreographer, his first work was Sunil Dutt starrer Khandan in 1962. He disappeared from the film scene after Sabse Bada Rupaiya (1976), and returned only in 1988 with the film Hero Hiralal. His work in Govinda’s Bambai Humko Jam Gayi from Swarg got noticed. Yet it was the iconic Jumma Jumma song featuring Amitabh Bachchan, which changed his destiny in 1991. From there on, he never looked back. Songs of 1990s are still known for its foot tapping numbers and melodies, and efforts made by Chinna Prakash in popularizing many songs of this era can never be left aside.

Published: February 18, 2019

Updated: February 18, 2019