Saroj Khan, Bollywood’s ace choreographer, is no more

Saroj Khan, one of the most celebrated Indian cinema’s choreographers, died on Friday, July 03 in Mumbai where she was born 71 years ago. With a career span of over forty years, she choreographed more than 2000 songs and is called “The Mother of Dance/Choreography in India”. Her daughter Sukanya Khan confirmed the sad news. She is survived by three daughters. She was admitted to Mumbai’s Guru Nanak Hospital on June 20 after complaining of difficulty in breathing and died of cardiac arrest where the three-time National Award winner breathed her last. The mandatory COVID-19 test done at the hospital showed a negative result. Saroj Khan, who was suffering from multiple ailments, passed away due to cardiac arrest at around 2:30 am IST at the hospital,” Ms. Khan’s nephew Manish Jagwani told media. Her most successful collaborations were with actors Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit both who later ruled Bollywood as superstars. Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, Amitabh Bachchan, Anushka Sharma, Farah Khan and other celebs mourn the demise of the legendary choreographer. Born as Nirmala Nagpal, daughter of a couple who had migrated from Pakistan after partition, Saroj Khan began her career by playing the young Shyama onscreen in Nazarana. She soon became a background dancer under the mentorship of dance director B. Sohanlal. He later married her. After assisting as a dance choreographer for a few years, her first independent work came in Geeta Mera Naam (1974). Saroj got noticed after she choreographed for Sridevi in Mr. India’s song “Hawa Hawai” (1987). She worked with Sridevi in films like Nagina and Chandni. This was followed by her long-term partnership with Madhuri Dixit in the 1990s in songs like “Ek Do Teen”, “Hum Ko Aaj Kal Hai Intezaar”, “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga”, “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai”, and “Tamma Tamma”. Saroj’s other popular films include Baazigar, Mohra, Darr, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Taal, Veer-Zaara, Pardes, Soldier, Don, Saawariya, Lagaan, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Manikarnika among more. She has won awards for Devdas, Jab We Met, Guru, Khalnayak, Chaalbaaz and others. The choreographer has also judged dance reality shows like Nach Baliye, Ustaadon Ka Ustaad, Boogie Woogie and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Her last work was the song “Tabaah Ho Gaye” from Kalank (2019) which was filmed on Madhuri Dixit. Kangana Ranaut had taken the ace choreographer’s help for her ambitious Manikarnika, as had Aanand L Rai in his Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Sadly, India had changed, irreparably perhaps. With Kalank failing at the ticket windows, Saroj’s return to arc lights too seemed bleak, Kananga says. The world will remember Saroj was an ace choreographer who made dance a language of its own, says Anushka Sharma. (edited by PK Chakravarty)