We didn't know we were creating magic: Ahmed Khan on choreographing 'Rangeela'
New Delhi (PTI): It's been 30 years since the release of "Rangeela," and Ahmed Khan, who debuted as a choreographer with the film alongside late Saroj Khan, says the movie is still among his most cherished memories.
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, "Rangeela" was released on September 8, 1995, featuring Urmila Matondkar and Aamir Khan in the lead roles. On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the makers re-released the film in theaters on Friday.
"Memories are still bright after those 30 years... It was my first film, so definitely every moment is right in front of my eyes, and it's fun. Every memory is fond, and it's in the most beautiful part of my heart... It was a complete career-building first match, and I got man of the match," he told PTI in an interview.
"Rangeela" had popular songs such as "Rangeela Re," "Pyaar Yeh Jaane Kaise," "Hai Rama," "Mangta Hai Kya," "Tanha Tanha," and "Yaaron Sun Lo Zara."
At the time, the film's choreography stood out as it introduced a fresh, contemporary visual language to mainstream Hindi cinema. The dance moves were far more natural and fluid than the exaggerated styles common at the time.
The songs, particularly “Mangta Hai Kya” and “Yaaron Sun Lo Zara” featuring Aamir and Urmila, appeared effortlessly cool, youthful, and stylish.
The choreography blended seamlessly with A R Rahman’s modern soundtrack, giving the film a distinctive rhythm and attitude that felt new for Hindi cinema in the mid-1990s.
The choreographer-turned-director said when he worked on the movie, he did not know the team was creating magic on screen.
"But we definitely knew that we were up to something that either would be accepted or rejected completely. The only man who was sure about it was Ram Gopal Varma, and we just followed his guidance. And today, when you look at it, you realise that we poured in everything with honesty. That's why the result was this great."
After choreographing for films such as "Mudhalvan" and "Nayak: The Real Hero," Ahmed ventured into filmmaking with his 2004 film "Lakeer," featuring Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, and John Abraham. Although the film didn't perform at the box office, he went on to make "Fool & Final" and the "Baaghi" sequel.
The 51-year-old filmmaker, who also worked as a child actor in the Anil Kapoor-Sridevi starrer "Mr. India," said he always wanted to become a director, and he is happy that he managed to do that eventually.
"When I was a child actor during 'Mr India,' there was a call from the direction to me. When I saw Shekhar Kapur working on the sets, I somehow knew that the man who does it all is the director. The rest, all of them, are the horses of the chariot, but the man who's running the chariot is the director. So when I was 10-11, I had in my mind that I would like to be called a filmmaker," Ahmed said.
"Throughout the years, I directed, I wrote, and I produced. So complete the circle, I feel. And still more to come. Many more to come," he added.
Asked about the film he would want to re-release, Ahmed said he can't name any specific project but admitted his 2020 film "Baaghi 3" didn't get enough credit, as it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I cannot pick a particular film. I don't know what is in the mindset of the audience, what they want to see, what they don't want to see. But definitely, I would say that my one film that didn't get its due or didn't get its run was 'Baaghi 3.' It didn't get a clear run. It came in the pandemic, and it was the last film to release, and the theater shut in 5-6 days."
His upcoming directorial is "Welcome to the Jungle," the third installment in the "Welcome" franchise. The film has an ensemble cast comprising Akshay Kumar, Suniel, Arshad Warsi, Raveena Tandon, and Jacqueline Fernandez, among others.
The filmmaker is sure the film will appeal to the audience.
"It's a fun film. I think we have got a healthy cast, which is by itself a jungle... You got all the top comedians in the film and put them together, so definitely you will get something which people will love. So that's what I have in process," he said.
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Texas halts H-1B visas at state universities, agencies; to affect Indians
Houston (US) (PTI): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The freeze will remain in effect through May 2027.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
“In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter,” Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of USD 1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of USD 1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 per cent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly USD 10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses – while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
Analysts warn the freeze could slow recruitment of highly skilled professionals, affecting academic research and innovation.
Supporters say the directive protects local jobs, while critics caution it could weaken Texas’ competitiveness in higher education and research.
The order comes amid broader debate in the US over skilled immigration and state-level interventions in federal programmes.
H-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically-skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.
In September 2025, Trump had also signed an executive order ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at setting up a new visa pathway for those committed to supporting the United States; with individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury, or USD 2 million if a corporation is sponsoring them, to get access to expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
