We are not close friends. But I’ve known Remo d’Souza for many many years. He is cordial, gentle warm, and polite. The heart attack at the age of 46 comes as a surprise. As his dear friend Prabhudheva told me, Remo leads a completely disciplined life. No late nights, no heavy drinking, no excesses of any kind.Plus, of course he is as fit as can be, thanks to all the dancing.
Remo is also a guy who stays away from stressful situations.When some time ago he was caught in a sticky situation with a superstar he hastily withdrew from the royal coterie of the star, preferring to do his own thing, make his own film rather than bend backward to please the big stars.
I spoke to choreographer-director Ahmed Khan about Remo. “He is fine ,thank you for asking. I couldn’t believe it when I heard he had a heart attack. He had an angiography and he’s doing well. I was there at the hospital for an hour. But I didn’t go inside to see him. This goddamned Covid has made human contact so difficult. Anyway his wife is there to take care of him. Hopefully he’ll be home soon.”
Ahmed got misty-eyed talking about Remo. “We’ve known one another for twenty years. He started his career as a choreographer with me . We don’t meet or talk every day. But the bonding is there. When something like this happens it just shakes you. There is no certainty about life.”