Among the myriad clips from the show that are doing the rounds on social media, Aditi Rao Hydari’s jaw-dropping ‘Gaja Gamini’ walk has somehow made its way through pop culture as Gen Zs and millennials continue to gush over it.
Hydari, who played Bibbojaan in the series, performs an immaculate dance to the song ‘Saiyaan Hatto Jaao’. During the dance sequence, the actor performs a ‘Gaja Gamini’ walk, which is now popular as the ‘Swan Walk’.
The actor thanked fans in a recent conversation for their overwhelmingly positive feedback on her performance in the song “Saiyaan Hatto Jaao.”
Aditi further disclosed that Bhansali was closely involved in all facets of the song’s choreography, demonstrating the painstaking attention to detail that went into its creation.
Aditi Rao Hydari expounded upon Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s attention to detail, emphasising his concentration on every detail, such as the dupatta’s movement in time with the steps.
She said, “Kruti Mahesh was there choreographing but he was completely involved in every detail of the choreography and he was very particular about this walk and how it should happen—how the dupatta would fall, how the waist would move, exactly when the ‘chan’ sound will be heard—it was quite incredible.”
Connection with Kama Sutra
Comments poured in, praising the subtle yet potent seduction portrayed by Aditi. One user likened her walk to a passage from the Kamasutra, depicting it as the epitome of allure.
In Sanskrit, Gaj Gamini translates to elephant walk. The Kamasutra associates elephants with “unrestrained raw sexual power.”
The text refers to a “hastini” (female elephant) as embodying the most lustful and bold feminine energy. The Gaja Gamini walk likely draws inspiration from this idea in the Kamasutra.
The ‘Gaja Gamini’ walk also has a mention in the Mahabharata. Queens like Draupadi were addressed as Mada-Gaja-Gamini, women who walked like cow elephants in a rut.
Gaja Gamini and Bollywood
It was Madhubala, who was the first Bollywood actress to perform the famous ‘Gaja Gamini’ walk in her movie ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ in the song ‘Mohe Panghat Pe’.
In 1967, legendary late painter M. F. Husain turned into a filmmaker with ‘Through the Eyes of a Painter’. However, it was with the 2000 film ‘Gaja Gamini’ starring Madhuri Dixit that Husain established himself as a filmmaker.
Based on his series of paintings, ‘Gajgamini’, the film depicted all the stages of a woman’s life. The elusive walk has also been used to address Shakuntala, Sangeeta, Mona Lisa, and others.