If it was choreography and if it was the raging dance hits of Bollywood, one name that could not be ignored was Saroj Khan. Humble, talented and a woman of class and parts, she left an indelible imprint on the world of Bollywood with her choreography.
Khan, a legend in her own right, died of cardiac arrest in the wee hours of July 3, 2020, at 2 am. Not well for sometime she had been admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra, Mumbai on June 20. Her burial happened in a Malad cemetery at the age of 71. She is survived by daughter Sukaina Khan and son Raju Khan.
Khan carved a niche for herself in the film industry. Her dancing skills have inspired many of those youngsters who have aspired to choreograph the leading lights of Bollywood.
In an interview Saroj Khan had said, “My parents moved to India from Pakistan after partition. My father, Kishanchand Sadhu Singh was a Punjabi, while my mother, Noni, a Sindhi. My father had a flourishing business in Pakistan but he had to leave everything behind when he came to India. I was born in India.” Nirmala changed her name to Saroj because her father didn’t want his orthodox family to know that his daughter works as a dancer.
She started professional dancing while working under film choreographer B Sohanlal. Lovingly called Masterji Saroj boatsed of an illustrious career spanning four decades. She was behind several chartbusters and dance moves that commanded respect in the fraternity. It was because of Saroj Khan that Filmfare took note of the role that choreographers play in cinema. In the ‘Best Choreography’ category she won the first one for ‘Tezaab’. Several celebrities, political leaders and fans condoled her demise and called it ‘an end of an era’ in Bollywood on social media.
As a teacher she was a hard taskmaster and a no-nonsense person. She had many hits with the dynamic Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. She had over 200 movies in her rich filmography and started off at a young age of 3 as a child artist and later became a background dancer.
Her foray into Bollywood as an independent choreographer was with 1974 release ‘Geeta Mera Naam’. Her association with Sridevi was in films like Hawa Hawai in Mr India, Nagina, Chandni and many more.
She is much remembered for her collaboration with Madhuri Dixit in ‘Ek Do Teen’ in Tezaab, Tamma Tamma Loge in Thanedaar and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga in Beta. Incidentally, her last film ‘Kalank’ (2019) was with Madhuri for the song ‘Tabaah Ho Gaye’.
She also judged shows like Nach Baliye, Ustaadon Ka Ustaad, Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan, Boogie Woogie, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.
In an era when singers and dancers are no longer just Naachne Gaane waale, it is because of thespians like Saroj Khan that a danseuse in today’s generation is considered someone of very high regard and respect.
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