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Bollywood has lost its most renowned choreographer, Saroj Khan on July 3, 2020. The industry with due respect and love used to call her as ‘Master Ji’. She passed away at around 2.30 am due to cardiac arrest. She was admitted to Mumbai’s Guru Nanak Hospital last month after she complained of difficulty in breathing. The mandatory Covid-19 test done at the hospital returned a negative result. Her funeral took place on Friday morning in Malad, Mumbai.
Saroj Khan is survived by her husband, son and two daughters. Saroj’s daughter Sukaina Khan told the press that the family will hold a prayer meet soon. “We buried her at around 7 am. The prayer meeting will be held after three days,” she said.
Many Bollywood celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Kajol, Subhash Ghai, Kareena Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit paid tributes to the choreographer on social media.
Born in 1948, Saroj Khan started her career as a child artiste at the age of 3. In the 1950s, She became a background dancer under the mentorship of dance director B. Sohanlal and got her first break as an independent choreographer with Geeta Mera Naam in 1974, but it took Sridevi’s Hawa Hawai song in 1987 film Mr India for her to receive acclaim as a dance choreographer of repute.
Her most successful collaborations were with actors Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit, the prominent dancing stars of the ‘80s and ‘90s. She worked with Sridevi in films like Mr India, Nagina and Chandni. This was followed by her long-term partnership with Madhuri Dixit 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 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 last choreographed for “Tabaah Hogaye”, featuring Madhuri from filmmaker Karan Johar’s production Kalank in 2019. The choreographer has also judged dance reality shows like Nach Baliye, Ustaadon Ka Ustaad, Boogie Woogie and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.
In a career spanning forty years, she choreographed nearly 2000 songs. Her signature moves in Hawa Hawai, Chandni, Tama Tamma, Ye Ishq Haaye, Ek Do Teen, Dola Re Dola and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga are remembered to this day. She won three National Awards for Best Choreography for her work in Devdas, Jab We Met and the 2007 Tamil film Shringaram.
