Longinus Fernandes

Longinus Fernandes Biography

Longinus Fernandes is an Indian choreographer best known for choreographing Oscar award winning song – Jai Ho, of Slumdog Millionaire (2009). Pappu Can’t Dance of 2007 Bollywood blockbuster Jaane tu ya jaane na also needs special mention. This chartbuster song of Rahman, lovely choreographed by Fernandes also helped him to bag his maiden Filmfare award for best choreography. His choreographed Bollywood songs are included in the movies like Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns, Border, Sarfarosh, Moksha, Kuch to hai, Guzarish, My friend Pinto, Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story, Dil vil pyar vyar, Khushi, Kyon, Keemat, Barfi and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Though his name is not credited in the film rolls of Slumdog Millionaire, film director Danny Boyle thanked him in his acceptance speech at the Academy awards and has also acknowledged the missing credits.

Longinus started his career in the Bollywood as a background dancer in the early 1990s. Later he worked as an assistant choreographer for a few years before making his debut as an independent choreographer in the year 1995 with the movie - Dil Ka Doctor. Though he was associated with Bollywood since then he struggled for more than a decade till he came to limelight through reality shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (Season 1), on Sony TV in 2006. He appeared as a contestant aside actress, Shweta Salve and were elected as runner ups of the show.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s he was also associated with a few music videos as a choreographer, among which Baba Sehgal's Balle Balle Ho Gai and Adnan Sami's Lift Kara De were the popular ones. In between he did a few movies like Keemat, Khushi, Dil hai tumhara etc. In 2008, he acted as a judge for a reality dance show on Sahara One, Saas v/s Bahu. Yet it was through Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Slumdog Millionaire both released in 2008 he came to limelight.

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Updated: July 08, 2014