Desi Galaxy

Saroj Khan has won another Filmfare award for best choreography of the song Barso Re Megha Re in the movie Guru. I was looking around the web to find out a biography or something of this legendary Indian choreographer and was surprised to find out that there is no decent pages on the web about her. She has won 8 filmfare awards and has worked for decades as the leading dance director in bollywood and still no one bothered to tell her story?

Saroj Khan’s real name is Nirmala Sadhu Khan. Born in 1950 to Kishanchand Sadhu Singh and Noni. Saroj’s parents migrated from Pakistan to India during the partition in 1947. Saroj worked as a child actor in the movie Tarana at that time she was only three years old. You will not find her name in the cast but if you watch the movie she has played the little Shayama sitting on the moon and singing.

At the age of thirteen Saroj Khan married B. Sohanlal who was a well known dance master at that time. It is not clear why Saroj married him. Sohanlal was 41 yeard old and already married with 4 children. Saroj was too young and may be it was her parents who made her do that. At the age of fourteen she gave birth to her first child Raju (Raju Khan is now a famous choreographer). In 1965 she separated from Sohanlal, but kept working as his assistant. They reunited again when Sohanlal had an heart attack. Saroj Khan had another child from Sohan Lal, her daughter Kuku. Sohanlal then moved to Madras leaving behind Saroj and two children.

Saroj then worked as dance master for many movies but still she was not a well known celebrity. At that time it was not unusual for dance masters to go completely un-noticed by popular media and audiences. Saroj got the real taste of the fame when she worked as dance director for Subhash Ghai’s movie Hero. And then there was no looking back. She worked with the top brass of actors and actoresses, directors and producers. The dances she choreographed became a part of Indian cultural subconciousness. She directed the dances of Madhuri for movies Beta, Khal Nayak, Ram Lakhan, Sailab and Tezab. She worked on Sri Devi in movies such as Chalbaz, Chandni, Nagina. She directed Aishawarya in Devdas and Guru.

She has created the most wonderful dances of all times. Whenever I watch these songs, I want to dance and her work fills my heart with joy. I love these songs particularly:

1. Choli Ke Peechay Kiya Hai (Khal Nayak)
2. Hum Ko Aaj Kal Hai Intezar (Sailab)
3. O Ram ji Bara Dukh Diya Teray Lakhan ney (Ram Lakhan)
4. Dhak Dhak Karnay Laga (Beta)
5. Katay Nahi Kat te yeh din yeh rat (Mr. India)
6. Najanay Kahan Say Aayi Hai (Chalbaz)

This small biography of Saroj Khan is composed from the bits she described herself here.