Nirmala Kishanchand Sadhu Singh Nagpal, better known as Saroj Khan is an actress who mainly works in Bollywood One of India’s top choreographers. Khan is popularly known as the “Mother of Dance/Choreography” in India. She has arranged more than 2,000 songs in a career spanning more than four decades.
Wiki/Biography
Saroj Khan was born in Bombay (now Mumbai, Maharashtra) on Saturday, November 20, 1948 (died aged 71). Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. Her family origins are from Pakistan and her parents moved to India after the partition of India and Pakistan. She belonged to a wealthy business family but when her parents moved to India, they lost all their wealth.
Saroji Khan when he was young
As a child, Saroj used to see her shadow dancing on the floor. When her mother saw her dancing chasing shadows, she thought Saroj was mentally ill and took her to see a doctor. After a thorough analysis of Khan, doctors advised her mother that Khan just wanted to dance, so she should be allowed to dance. Doctors even suggested that Khan’s mother try her luck in the film industry; her family’s finances were very weak at the time. When Saroj was three years old, she appeared in the film Nazarana as a child artist. In the 1950s, Khan worked as a background dancer in the song “Aiye Meheraban” in the film Howrah Bridge.
Saroj Khan as background dancer
Saroj Khan as background dancer
While in school, she started learning dance from film choreographer B. Sohanlal.
appearance
Height (approximately): 4′10″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: dark brown
family and caste
Saroj Khan was born into a Hindu family. However, she converted to Islam before her first marriage.
Parents and siblings
Saroji Khan is the daughter of the late Kishanchand Sadhu Singh and Noni Sadhu Singh. She has one brother and three sisters.
Husbands, relationships and children
Saroj Khan married 41-year-old dance guru B. Sohanlal when she was just 13 years old. Soharlal was married with four children at the time. However, Saroj was unaware that Soharlal was a married man. At the age of 14, she gave birth to her first child, Hamid Khan (a popular choreographer named Raju Khan). The couple separated in 1965. They were later reunited after Soharal suffered a heart attack. The couple subsequently welcomed their second child, Hina Khan (she died 8 months after birth). However, Soharlal refused to name the children, so she raised them as a single mother.
Saroj Khan’s ex-husband B. Sohanlal
Raju Khan, son of Saroji Khan
Saroj then found love in a businessman named Sardar Roshan Khan. The couple tied the knot in 1975. They have a daughter, Sukaina Khan, who runs a dance academy in Dubai.
Saroj Khan’s husband Sardar Roshan Khan
Saroj Khan and her daughter
Profession
Saroj started her career at the age of fourteen as an assistant choreographer under B. Sohanlal. The first song she choreographed was “Nigahein Milane Ko Jee Chahta Hai” from the movie “Dil Hi Toh Hai”. Saroj made his debut as an independent choreographer in 1974 with the film Geeta Mera Naam. Although Khan began her career in the early ’70s, it wasn’t until the late ’80s that she began to become famous.
Old photos of Saroj Khan
It was the Bollywood film Nagina starring Sridevi that won Saroj’s recognition. Her choreography in the dance “Main Naagin Tu Sapera” earned her kudos. Later, Khan choreographed Sridevi in Mr. India’s song “Hawaa Hawaai”. Her choreographic skills have been praised by audiences and critics alike.
Saroj Khan teaches dance moves to Sridevi
Later, Khan arranged several songs for Madhuri Dixit such as “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga”, “Ek Do Teen”, “Tamma Tamma Loge” and “Dola Re Dola”. The songs went on to become huge hits and made Saroj Khan a household name.
Saroj Khan teaches dance to Madhuri Dixit
She has since choreographed several songs for films such as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Guru, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and Jab We Met. Saroj served as a judge in the first and second seasons of the dance reality show Nach Baliye. She has also served as a judge on other dance reality shows like “Ustaadon ka Ustaad” and “Boogie Woogie”.
In 2008, Saroj hosted the dance class show “Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan” on NDTV Imagine.
dispute
- Saroj Khan has courted controversy for supporting the couch-casting practice in the film industry. Saroj said in the statement that the film industry at least provides employment opportunities to people and does not rape and abandon artists. Her comments were met with backlash on the internet.
- Saroj Khan has accused Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya of harassing struggling dancers and choreographers. However, Acharaya later filed a defamation case against Saroj and said it was her ploy to tarnish his image.
die
Saroj Khan was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital in Mumbai on June 17, 2020, due to respiratory problems. Khan died of cardiac arrest at 2:30 am on July 3, 2020. He died at the age of 71. Khan’s family buried him at a cemetery in Malad, Mumbai, around 7 am.
Awards and Achievements
- Legendary Choreographer Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema (2019)
Saroj Khan receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Excellence
national film award
- The film “Devdas” (Dola Re Dola) won the National Film Award for “Best Choreography” (2003)
- The film “Sringaram” (all songs) won the National Film Award for “Best Choreography” (2006)
- The film “Jab We Met” (Yeh Ishq Haaye) won the National Film Award for “Best Choreography” (2008)
Film Audience Award
- The film “Tezaab” (1989) won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography”
- The film “Chaalbaaz” (1990) won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography”
- The film “Sailaab” (1991) won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography”
- The film “Beta” (1993) won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography”
Saroj Khan wins award
- The film “Khalnayak” (1994) won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography”
- The film “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography” (2000)
- The film “Devdas” won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography” (2003)
- The film Guru (2008) won the Filmfare Award for “Best Choreography”
American Choreography Awards
- Outstanding Achievement in a Drama Film “Lagaan” (2001)
Nandi Award
- Won the Nandi Award for Best Choreography for the film Choodalani Vundi (1998)
Karaka Award
- 19th Annual Karaka Award for Outstanding Contribution to Choreography (2011)
sign
Saroji Khan’s signature
favorite thing
Facts/Trivia
- Her hobbies include dancing and traveling.
- In 2012, PSBT and the Film Ministry of India produced and released a documentary about Saroj Khan titled “The Saroj Khan Story”. The documentary is directed by Nidhi Tuli.
- Khan is the first person to win the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography. In fact, Filmfare introduced the award category after watching her choreography in the song “Ek Do Teen” from the film “Tezaab”. Saroj won the Filmfare Awards for three consecutive years from 1989 to 1991, and she even holds the record for winning the most Filmfare Awards for Best Choreography.
- Khan is also the person who has won the National Film Awards most times (three) in the Best Choreography category.
- Talking about her marriage to dance guru B. Sohanlal, Saroj said:
I was studying in school and one day my dance teacher Soharal tied a black thread around my neck and I got married. “
- Her friends and family affectionately called her “Motty Butch” and “Master Ji.”
- Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit was her favorite dance student.
Saroj Khan teaches dance moves to Madhuri Dixit
- Saroji often refers to himself as an Anglo-Indian. Because she has received training in acrobatics, jazz dance and rock and roll and other dance forms.
- Before becoming a choreographer, Saroj was reportedly rejected many times because of his Western style of dressing.
- At just 12 years old, Saroj taught dance to Bollywood divas like Helen and Vyjayanthimala.
- In 2019, Saroj choreographed her last song “Tabaah Hogaye” from the film “Kalank” with Madhuri Dixit.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education