• Home
  • Projects
  • Reel
  • Choreography
  • About
  • Contact
Menu

Saaj Raja

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Actor - Writer - Dancer - Choreographer

Your Custom Text Here

Saaj Raja

  • Home
  • Projects
  • Reel
  • Choreography
  • About
  • Contact

BBC Proms - Bollywood at the Proms - Royal Albert Hall

August 8, 2023 Saajan Raja

Celebrating the musical legacy of Bollywood, the Proms pays tribute to Lata Mangeshkar, the voice behind the hit songs that defined Indian cinema’s greatest films.

Saaj joined forces with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in a glorious musical fusion to commemorate more than five decades of the late playback singer’s stellar career.

On a night when the Royal Albert Hall took on the spirit of Mumbai, presenter Nikki Bedi and special guests honoured Lata’s impact across generations, cultures and continents

Watch the show here.

In bollywood, dance Tags saaj raja, saajan, saajraja, bbc

Eternals - Marvel Studios - Film Trailer

October 13, 2021 Saajan Raja

The highly anticipated trailer for Marvel Studio’s, Eternals released his week featuring a stellar cast including, Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek.

You can catch Saaj dancing next to Kumail Nanjiani in an unprecedented Bollywood dance spectacle in the MCU.

Saaj was fortunate to work with Director Chloe Zao and Choreographer Nileeka Bose who bought together 50 South Asian dancers for the scene.

The scene was rehearsed and filmed over four days at Pinewood Studios in London. Eternals releases 5th November 2021.

In bollywood, film Tags marvel, film, bollywood, bollywooddance, saaj, saajraja

I Can See Your Voice - TV Show - BBC1

May 18, 2021 Saajan Raja
SAAJ & SHASH 2.jpg
SAAJ & SHASH.jpg
SAAJ & SHASH 2.jpg SAAJ & SHASH.jpg

Saaj appeared on BBC1’s new gameshow “I Can See Your Voice” with his father Shash! The show is hosted by Paddy McGuiness

After taking a quick Bollywood dance workshops with celebrities Amanda Holden, Jimmy Carr, Ronan Keating and Alison Hamond, they had to guess if contestants could sing without hearing their voices.

With £10,000 up for grabs, it was a nail-biting experience!

In actor, bollywood Tags saaj, saajraja, saajan raja, saaj raja, Icanseeyourvoice, bbc1

The Girl on The Train - Bollywood - Netflix

March 2, 2021 Saajan Raja

Saaj is dancing in the opening sequence of the latest Bollywood release on Netflix - The Girl on The Train. Starring Parineeti Chopra.

The film was shot in London and the song was filmed in Tilgate Park. Saaj was selected for a solo piece at the beginning of the song by choreographer Vijay Ganguly.

In bollywood Tags bollywood, bollywooddance, saajan raja, saaj, saajraja, saaj raja, saajanraja, TheGirlonTheTrain
Comment

Chammak Challo - Bollywood Skit - Brighton

August 27, 2019 Saajan Raja

Bollywood dance video encapsulating the bohemian streets of Brighton.

Check out this special collaboration with wonderkid Matt Aspinall as we chase our Chammak Challo, Ruchi Ranjan through the streets of sunny Brighton. Please share and comment!

In dance, dance classes, bollywood, film, short film, video Tags saaj, saajan raja, saaj raja, saajanraja, saajan, saajraja, bollywooddance, bollywood, dance video

Bollywood Short Film - Actor - Hong Kong

March 1, 2019 Saajan Raja
IMG-20190222-WA0025[1].jpg
IMG-20190228-WA0006[1].jpg
IMG_20190221_135936[1].jpg
IMG_20190225_231740-01[1].jpeg
IMG-20190221-WA0061[1].jpg
IMG_20190221_122825[1].jpg
IMG-20190222-WA0025[1].jpg IMG-20190228-WA0006[1].jpg IMG_20190221_135936[1].jpg IMG_20190225_231740-01[1].jpeg IMG-20190221-WA0061[1].jpg IMG_20190221_122825[1].jpg

A film exploring an unlikely romance between two strangers amidst the stunning backdrop of Hong Kong.

Aisha is an ambitious Indian girl and despairs when her father decides to cut short her studies abroad to get married. She contrives a boyfriend so she can complete her studies leaving her father to turn up unannounced in Hong Kong too meet Keiko. Aisha’s lover is far more real than she could ever have imagined…

I recently wrapped my scenes for this Bollywood short film with Director Sadie Granberg in Hong Kong. This is my first lead acting role and I had a brilliant time shooting with the super talented Hanisha Gianani as Aisha and Vimal Vaz as Aisha’s scary father!

Bollywood Short will be released late 2019.

In bollywood, video, film, short film Tags saajan raja, saaj raja, saajanraja, saajraja
1 Comment

Rowdy Baby - London - Dance video with Rakhee Visavadia

February 20, 2019 Saajan Raja

Rowdy Baby with Rakhee.

A re-creation of hit Tamil song Rowdy Baby. The original has over 300m views on YouTube !

After creating fire in the studio with our first collaboration, this one was a no brainer! It was my first time dancing to Tamil music and I have to say it was incredibly refreshing. Rakhee pushed me in the studio and she came up with an excellent choreographed piece. The timing of the movements were perfected in the space of a few days.

We also spent time learning the Tamil lyrics so we could lip-sync! Check out Rakhee’s YouTube channel and other amazing videos.

In bollywood, dance, video Tags saajan raja, saaj raja, saajanraja, saajraja, bollywood, bollywooddance, dance video
1 Comment

Aankh Marey - London - Dance video with Rakhee Visavadia

February 14, 2019 Saajan Raja

Reconnecting with Rakhee.

This is a fun dance re-creation of the Bollywood classic Aankh Marey from the hit movie Simmba.

When we cross paths with others in life, there is often meaning behind the moment which we may not be able to grasp at the time of interaction. I had met Rakhee at a dance gig in 2013 and now here we are collaborating for the first time since that encounter six years ago.

Despite the long gap, we instantly picked up where we left off and I had so much fun dancing with Rakhee. She pushed me as a dancer and I am thankful for those hours spent rehearsing in the studio. Collaboration is always inspiring when the passion for creating is shared.

Our love for Bollywood dance is evident in this for sure! Check out Rakhee’s channel here!

In dance, bollywood, video Tags bollywood, bollywooddance, saajan raja, saaj raja, saajanraja, saajraja

Ek Pal Ka Jeena - Hong Kong - Passion Project

September 3, 2018 Saajan Raja

Ek Pal Ka Jeena means to live in the moment before it passes us by.

Moments can be fleeting, especially in a place like Hong Kong. In this way, my four years in Asia had flown by. This video is my interpretation of a Bollywood classic with an Asian twist. It is an ode to the city that comes to life at night and is close to my heart. Elements are inspired by Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan. The synth heavy song compliments the neon dystopian Hong Kong vibe.

This production is special as it’s my first solo video project. The conceptual process was a lot of fun thanks to Hong Kong’s diverse range of locations. I wanted to take the viewer on a late-night journey as I danced through the city streets. I teamed up with talented cinematographer Woody Wu. With his local knowledge we scouted Kowloon for locations matching my storyboard.

Filming was a challenge as we chose to shoot in one of the worlds’s most densely populated places – Mong Kok! This meant filming late at night and into the early hours. Mong Kok is teeming with both human and artificial life. We felt the best way to capture this would be to include one of the famous traffic crossings. This meant dancing in the centre, facing oncoming traffic between green and red lights! The result is an electrifying mix of dance, neon city lights, cars, bustling crowds and towering buildings.

Factoring in the Hong Kong heat and busy fruit market at 1 am, this was a challenging project, shot over three nights. The response has been fantastic so far and I hope you enjoy it as well!

In dance, bollywood, video Tags dance, dance video, Hong Kong, bollywood, saajanraja, saajan raja, saaj raja
Comment

Virtual Reality with Varun Dhawan - Madame Tussauds - Hong Kong - VR Installation

August 30, 2018 Saajan Raja
Varun Dhawan 1.jpg
Varun Dhawan 2.jpg
IMG-20180119-WA0099.jpg
IMG-20180119-WA0014.jpg

As a Bollywood dancer, it doesn’t get better much than a performance with Varun Dhawan.

India’s youth icon was in Hong Kong to unveil his wax statue at Madame Tussauds. I was tasked with creating a virtual dance installation for visitors of Hong Kong’s famous Peak Galleria. You can now dance along with me anytime at Madame Tussauds!

The production process involved a separate day of shooting on green screen. The special effects technicians at Cordex superimposed me and Hanisha onto a Bollywood background dancing to Varun’s hit song – Saturday Saturday.

We were invited as special guests to the unveiling where Varun posed and danced with us in front of his screaming fans.

In bollywood, dance Tags saajan raja, saajraja, saajanraja, saaj raja, Varun Dhawan, bollywood, Madame Tussauds

Ready To Move - Veena - Tiger Shroff - London - Dance Video

August 29, 2018 Saajan Raja

Dancing with Veena is always a whirlwind.

This time was no different. Having only just moved back to London, I was lucky enough to be included in this project for Prowl Anthem and Tiger Shroff.

Veena bought the crew together at Queen Mary University’s dance studio. We immediately gelled meaning the routine was choreographed and shot within the space of three hours! Insane considering we had not all met before or heard the song we were dancing to. The bar was already set high given Tiger Shroff’s reputation as an incredible dancer. Our work was recognised by the man himself who shared it on his social media.

Veena is pushing the boundaries of visual performance whilst somehow being a doctor at the same time. Check out her channel.

In bollywood, video Tags saaj raja, saajan raja, saajanraja, dance video, bollywooddance, bollywood

Oshika - Sri Lanka - Wedding Choreography

July 25, 2018 Saajan Raja
IMG_2664.JPG
Oshika script.JPG
IMG_2622.JPG
IMG_2494.jpeg

Bollywood bonanza as a prince marries his princess on the shores of Colombo.

The term Fairytale wedding is clichéd. In the case of my friends Oshan and Radhika, it’s an understatement. Friends and family from all corners of the world gathered to mark this wonderful occasion in Colombo. It was a reminder of the incredible power of love and its ability to bring people together.

Bollywood dance performances at weddings have become the norm. We wanted to take it one step further and choreograph a Bollywood production showcasing our bride and grooms love story. I began by writing a script to include performances by the groomsmen, bridesmaids, family members and the newlyweds. We selected six songs which matched the love story narrative. A pre-recorded introductory voice-over would set the scene, followed by acting and Bollywood dance performances.

The major challenge was co-ordinating and communicating this vision to participants in over seven different countries! I sent out the script and filmed video tutorials for the guests to learn before arriving in Sri Lanka. Rehearsals were then carried out in the days prior to the wedding.

The result? A live Bollywood production.

In bollywood, dance, wedding, wedding dance Tags bollywood, dance, wedding, sangeet, show, srilanka, oshika, saaj raja, saajraja, saajan raja, saajanraja

Bollywood on Hollywood Dance Classes – Hong Kong

July 10, 2018 Saajan Raja
Bonh1.jpg
bollywoodonhollywood.jpg
bollywoodonhollywood2.jpg

Creating a Bollywood buzz in Hong Kong.

Every Thursday evening for almost 4 years, people would come to dance with me on Hollywood Road. Launching my classes was a grind and required patience. Slowly the magic of Bollywood took hold of the Soho area. After gaining favorable coverage from South China Morning Post, TimeOut and Sassy Hong Kong, things began to take off. This led to many other opportunities including corporate workshops, performances, wedding choreography and private lessons.

Every week I would teach a different routine with the focus being on fun over form. People from all backgrounds of Hong Kong’s multicultural expat scene would join. Locals would also come to shimmy with me. This is a testament to the boundless appeal of Bollywood and its ability to connect with people. I had so much fun being able to communicate this energy and am grateful for the support from my students.

My final class was a special surprise organised by my dear friend Aude who bought together my closest friends and students to dance with me for the last time. I can now say my face has made it onto a t-shirt thanks to the Bollywood on Hollywood tees made for the finale!

I miss my students dearly and hold them close to my heart.

In dance, bollywood, dance classes Tags bollywood, bollywoodclasses, bollywooddance, bollywoodonhollywood, saajraja, saajan raja, Hong Kong

Bollywood Baes Dance Workshop - Hong Kong

April 2, 2018 Saajan Raja
workshop.jpg

Last weekend we created some magic in Hong Kong. People of all backgrounds came together to dance with each other. Some of the partners had just met that day. But if you look at the videos, their expressions say otherwise. That's because we all inherently want to smile. It's impossible not to when dancing. Especially to Bollywood! It was a pleasure teaching such an excitable group with Hanisha. Although I had lost my voice the following day.

Hanisha's passion for Bollywood dance was the driving force behind this workshop. She conceptualized the well-received teaser videos which were shot on the edgy streets of Sheung Wan. We decided that instead of shooting in a studio, why not make use of the many eye-catching backdrops Hong Kong has to offer. The second teaser video received over 150,000 views on Instagram within a few days!

The workshop was very well received and I'm looking forward to more like this one.

Check out Hanisha’s channel for more fun Bollywood videos.

In bollywood, dance Tags workshop, dance, class, fitness, bollywood

Connect with Saaj Raja

POWERED BY SQUARESPACE.