The Life of a Dancer
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:
- Choli Ke Peechay Kiya Hai (Khal Nayak)
- Hum Ko Aaj Kal Hai Intezar (Sailab)
- O Ram ji Bara Dukh Diya Teray Lakhan ney (Ram Lakhan)
- Dhak Dhak Karnay Laga (Beta)
- Katay Nahi Kat te yeh din yeh rat (Mr. India)
- Najanay Kahan Say Aayi Hai (Chalbaz)
This small biography of Saroj Khan is composed from the bits she described herself here.
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7 Responses to “The Life of a Dancer”
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April 17th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
You are really special to me. you also inspire me alot
August 1st, 2008 at 9:32 am
Saroj Kahn is a legendary choreographer of India. She has won a lot of filmfare awards for her awesome choreography, but still she’s not a well known celebrity. She also worked as a child actor in the movie
Tarana at the age of three.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:34 am
Saroj Kahn is a legendary choreographer of India. She has won a lot
of filmfare awards for her awesome choreography, but still she’s not
a well known celebrity.
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:35 pm
I really love the great work of Madam Sarooj, she is like my guru.
I would love to learn dance from here or even once meet in my life, can my dream come true?
can any one here who can share th e-id or any others contact details of Madam Sarooj???
I would be vry grateful to my friends.
I m from karachi, pakistan.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:47 am
it is very sad that still saroj khan is unknown to big number of people who are fond of film and who want to know about the poeple whose efforts make the films enjoyable. people know very little about saroj khan. i surfed internet many many hours to find informations about her but i could not have much information except this article. she is not yet brought to light by the media.i think due to some sorts of negative attitude of the media people her talent has not been applauded.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Khan is a muslim surname, why Saroj khan is using this surname ? I like to know, coz in her brief biography there is no such connection.
September 7th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I don’t believe in such saying that Saroj Khan is not very popular. Just ask any dance lover, her name is in the tip of their tongue. She is the perfect choreographer in the bollywood – classical or western dance – she has mastered both. If media ignores her due to her past life it is not her problem. She has devoted her life to the bollywood & the output is all famous dance songs of Madhuri, Sridevi, Juhi, Aishwarya etc.
One thing I love in her dance is that if she teaches any western dance, you can mark, all the steps she takes out from classical dance itself. But she gives a western touch to those western dance. As if she want to say that we must not forget that classical dance is the base of all kind of dances.