For someone who has choreographed some of Telugu cinema’s most iconic dance numbers over the past two decades, Sekhar Master‘s name has, in recent times, become associated with a different kind of attention. The choreographer, whose work includes songs like “Top Lechipoddi” from Iddarammayilatho, “Ammadu Lets Do Kummudu” from Khaidi No. 150, “Saranga Dariya” from Love Story and “Ramuloo Ramulaa” from Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, has now said he regrets one particular piece of choreography that turned into one of the most trolled moments in recent Telugu cinema.Speaking about the Dabidi Dibidi song from Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaj, Sekhar said, “I regret doing the Dabidi Dibidi step. I thought it would be received differently, but it turned out the way it did. Everyone knows that step, but many may not know that I was the choreographer.”What happened with Dabidi DibidiThe controversy traces back to the release of Daaku Maharaj’s promotional material in late 2024, ahead of the film’s theatrical release on January 12, 2025. The film, directed by Bobby Kolli (also known as K.S. Ravindra), was a big-budget Telugu action thriller starring Balakrishna alongside Bobby Deol, Shraddha Srinath, Pragya Jaiswal and Urvashi Rautela. It was produced by Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under the banners of Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, with music by S. Thaman.The “Dabidi Dibidi” song featured Balakrishna and Rautela in a dance sequence choreographed by Sekhar Master. One specific move in the routine, in which Balakrishna taps Rautela on her lower back, immediately drew criticism online. Clips of the step were widely shared and memed, with many calling it inappropriate and questioning why such choreography was approved for a mainstream commercial film. The backlash was directed primarily at Balakrishna and Sekhar, with social media users accusing the choreographer of relying on suggestive moves rather than genuine dance craft.Urvashi Rautela herself weighed in on the controversy at the time, saying she was surprised by the reaction. In an interview, she said the step had not felt objectionable during rehearsals or on set. “We rehearsed for the song well in advance, and everything went smoothly. The choreography was done like any other song. I have previously worked with Sekhar Master on three songs, and when he explained the steps, I didn’t find anything uncomfortable,” she said, adding that neither she nor anyone on set had anticipated the kind of response the song received after release.A pattern of backlashThe “Dabidi Dibidi” backlash was not an isolated incident. Over the past year and a half, several of Sekhar Master’s choreography assignments have drawn criticism for being overly intimate or suggestive. Before “Dabidi Dibidi”, his work on the song “Sitara” from Ravi Teja’s Mr. Bachchan (2024) was trolled for similar reasons, with audiences calling out its intimate dance moves. The song failed to connect with viewers and was widely considered a misstep.Shortly after “Dabidi Dibidi”, the “Peelings” song from Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule also drew criticism for its choreography, which featured similar intimate moves between Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna. However, unlike “Sitara” and “Dabidi Dibidi”, “Peelings” eventually overcame the early trolling and went on to become a major hit, largely on the strength of the chemistry between its lead pair.Story continues below this adAlso Read: Urvashi Rautela addresses backlash against ‘Dabidi Dibidi’ dance moves with Balakrishna: ‘I wasn’t doing anything out of ordinary’His choreography for “Adi dha Surprisu” from the film Robinhood, featuring Ketika Sharma, also ran into trouble. The step was reportedly considered too suggestive for theatrical exhibition and had to be edited to clear the censor board before the film could be released.The recurring nature of these controversies raised a broader question in Telugu film circles about where the line lies between mass-appeal choreography and content that audiences consider inappropriate, particularly in an era where every frame of a song is instantly clipped, shared and judged on social media.A career built on hook stepsThe pattern of backlash stands in sharp contrast to Sekhar Master’s overall career, which has been one of the more successful and consistent runs by any choreographer in Telugu cinema. Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, he moved to Hyderabad in 1996 and spent six years as a background dancer and another eight as an assistant under choreographer Rakesh Master before getting his first independent assignment with the 2007 film Mantra.Story continues below this adSince then, he has choreographed hundreds of songs across Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films, working with some of the biggest names in South Indian cinema, including Allu Arjun, Jr. NTR, Ram Charan, Mahesh Babu and Chiranjeevi. His signature style has always leaned toward high-energy, mass-appeal hook steps designed to travel beyond the film and into wedding halls, reels and public celebrations. Songs like “Yentha Sakkagunnave” from Rangasthalam, “Kurchi Madathapetti” from Guntur Kaaram and “Pakka Local” from Janatha Garage are all examples of his ability to create moves that audiences pick up and replicate instantly.