TRIBUTE to MASTERJI Saroj khan

                 

                           Writer : Pro.Dr. V.K.Trivedi  

Saroj Khan, Choreographer Who Made Bollywood Sparkle, Dies at 71

Saroj Khan was born Nirmala Nagpal on Nov. 22, 1948, in Mumbai. Her father, Kishanchand Sadhu Singh, had been a prosperous businessman in Karachi, in what is now Pakistan, but lost everything in the violent partition that divided the two countries in 1947. He and his wife, Noni, moved to Mumbai, where they started over in a tiny room in a slum.

Ms. Khan was born in that room, the first of six children. She recalled dancing with shadows there as a toddler, fascinated even then by what would become her calling. To supplement the family’s income, her father managed to get her work in Mumbai’s booming film industry as an actress at the age of 3, under the name Saroj.

She had small roles in a number of films before becoming a background dancer at age 10, appearing in the 1958 classic “Howrah Bridge,” starring the actress Madhubala.

Soon afterward, Ms. Khan’s father died suddenly. In a 2012 documentary, “The Saroj Khan Story,” Ms. Khan described how her mother struggled to feed her and her siblings, and how they often went to bed hungry.

On the eve of the Diwali holiday, Ms. Khan worked up the courage to ask the matinee star Shashi Kapoor for help. “I had just finished one song with him, I was the group dancer,” she said. “I went to him and told him, ‘Tomorrow is Diwali and I have nothing at home. I will get paid only after a week.’ He said, ‘I have 200 rupees right now, please take it.’ I’ll never forget it, that money helped me so much.”

Ms. Khan never formally trained as a dancer. Most classical dancers spend years studying under a teacher before they ever perform in public, but with a family to help support, that was not an option for Ms. Khan.

While still a young girl, she became an assistant to the choreographer B. Sohanlal, working with him on some of the biggest films of the time. He taught her the basics of kathak, a classical Indian dance.

Saroj Khan, Bollywood choreographer, dead at 71; Priyanka Chopra mourns

 Saroj Khan, a top Bollywood choreographer, died of cardiac arrest in a Mumbai hospital early Friday, her family said. She was 71.

The three-time National Award winner was hospitalized last Saturday after she complained of breathlessness. She tested negative for COVID-19, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

Khan choreographed more than 2,000 songs in her career spanning more than 40 years. Leading actresses including Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi danced to some of the most popular songs Khan had produced.

Priyanka Chopra shared a touching tribute to Khan on social media Friday.

"Many of my teenage dreams came true when she choreographed me in 'Agneepath'. Taskmaster, perfectionist, innovator, trendsetter, genius... Saroj ji was many things to many people," Chopra wrote alongside a photo of the late dancer. "To me, she'll always be an institution that defined an era of dancing with abandon, emotion & passion. गुन गुन गुना रे... May the heavens dance to your tune Masterji... #RIPSarojKhan."

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar said she made dance look easy, almost like anybody can do it. “A huge loss for the industry,” Kumar tweeted.

Khan started her acting career at the age of 3 in a Bollywood film. She later shifted to choreography and got her break in 1974. She never looked back and created some of Bollywood’s most popular film songs.

She won acclaim for songs in movies “Mr. India,” “Chandni,” “Beta,” “Tezaab” and ”Gulab Gang.”

Khan was buried in a Mumbai cemetery on Friday, her nephew Manish Jagwani told reporters.

She is survived by her husband and three children.

Saroj Khan, Bollywood Choreographer, Dead at 71: Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and More Stars Pay Tribute

The Bollywood community is paying tribute to legendary choreographer Saroj Khan, who died of cardiac arrest at age 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports.

A pioneering force in Hindi cinema, Khan was known for films like Beta, Tezaab, Taal and many more. Over the course of her decades-long career, she choreographed over 300 films and 2000 songs, and received three National Film Awards for Best Choreography, the most ever won by one person. She also holds the record for the most Filmfare Best Choreographer Awards, with eight.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who worked with Khan on the 2012 remake of Agneepath, paid tribute to "Saroj ji" on social media on Friday.

"Many of my teenage dreams came true when she choreographed me in Agneepath. Taskmaster, perfectionist, innovator, trendsetter, genius... Saroj ji was many things to many people," she shared on Twitter. "To me, she'll always be an institution that defined an era of dancing with abandon, emotion & passion. गुन गुन गुना रे... May the heavens dance to your tune Masterji... #RIPSarojKhan."

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan praised Khan as "my first genuine teacher in the film industry."

"She taught me for hours how to do the ‘dip’ for film dancing," he wrote on Twitter. "One of the most caring, loving & inspiring persona i have ever met. Will miss you Sarojji. May Allah bless her soul. Thank u for looking after me."

Actresses Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit Nene also paid loving tribute to their "dance guru" on social media. Bachchan shared a photo from the set of their movie Taal, writing, "ALL my Love Always too, Saroj ji❤️ May your Soul Rest in Peace ✨🙏✨Much respected, admired and adored as our Dance Guru in our Film Industry...truly a Legend...🌟Such a privilege to have had so many memorable experiences dancing under your guidance...THANK YOU for All your Duas and Blessings always... and so much LOVE 🥰 You will truly be missed ✨ Prayers and much Strength to all your family."

Nene tweeted, "I'm devastated by the loss of my friend and guru, Saroj Khan. Will always be grateful for her work in helping me reach my full potential in dance. The world has lost an amazingly talented person. I will miss you My sincere condolences to the family. #RIPSarojji."

Composer A.R. Rahman, who collaborated on several films with Khan, raved about her life and legacy on Twitter, writing, "You were like the fireworks in all our celebrations. Thank you for all the joy you brought us through your work. #RIPSarojKhan #SarojKhan."