New Delhi: Choreographer Saroj Khan died of a heart attack in a Mumbai hospital on Friday; she was 71. Ms. Khan was taken to Guru Nanak Hospital on June 17 after complaining of respiratory trouble. A test for CoornaVirus gave a negative result. “She passed away due to cardiac arrest at around 2.30 am at the hospital,” Saroj Khan’s nephew Manish Jagwani told. Just days ago, family sources said Ms. Khan was better and would be discharged soon. Saroj Khan’s funeral was held on Friday morning.
Tributes to Saroj Khan were shared by the film fraternity after her death with condolence.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed heartfelt condolences on the demise of prominent choreographer Saroj Khan. In a statement, he stated that it was a great loss for the film industry and prayed for her soul to rest in peace.
Saroj Khan, winner of three National Awards, choreographed some of Bollywood’s most iconic dance hits – many of these starred actresses Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. Ms. Khan’s earliest routines were for Sridevi in films like Mr. India, Nagina, and Chandni; she choreographed the quirky moves in Hawa Hawai. Later, she worked with Madhuri Dixit on Tezaab’s Ek Do Teen, Thaanedaar’s Tamma Tamma Loge, Beta’s Dhak Dhak Karne Laga and other numbers.
Saroj Khan won National Awards for choreographing Dola Re Dola from Devdas featuring Madhuri and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, all the songs of Tamil film Sringaram, and Yeh Ishq Haaye from Kareena Kapoor’s Jab We Met. She also won Filmfare Awards for Tezaab, Sailaab, Beta, Chaalbaaz, Khalnayak, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, and Guru.
Saroj Khan (born 22 November 1948 – 3 July 2020) was one of the most prominent and leading Indian dance choreographers in the Hindi cinema. She was born at the Bombay State (present-day Maharashtra), India. With a career span of over forty years, she choreographed more than 2000 songs and is known as “The Mother of Dance/Choreography in India“. She died on July 3, 2020, due to a sudden cardiac arrest.
Saroj Khan was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital at Bandra, Mumbai on June 17, 2020, because of breathing difficulties, and died of cardiac arrest at 1:52 AM early on Friday, July 3rd, 2020. She was 71 at the time of her death.
Saroj Khan is survived by son Hamid Khan and daughters Hina Khan and Sukaina Khan.