SAROJ KHAN, BOLLYWOOD’S FIRST FEMALE CHOREOGRAPHER, DIES AT 71
MUMBAI: Veteran choreographer and three-time national award winner Saroj Khan, who has more than 2,000 songs to her credit, died of cardiac arrest on Friday morning. The 71-year-old was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital on June 17, after she complained of breathlessness. Khan rose to fame in the 1980s and 90s, when she collaborated with Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla. Juhi Chawla remembers ‘Bollywood’s Masterji’:
I have many memories of working with her from early in my career up to a TV show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3, in 2009. Saroj ji was sheer magic, when she danced or choreographed. You couldn’t take your eyes off her when she danced. Her sensibilities regarding direction of a shot in a song, expressions and movements were superlative. She had a fine sense of humour and we bonded over that. She was top-notch whether it was the way she took the shot, or how she wanted an actor to perform, or guiding them on how to dress for a song. The first time I worked with her was for the song, Lagi Aaj Saavan ki phir who jhadi hai, from Chandni. I was relatively new and anxious to shoot with the top choreographer of the time ... We went on to shoot some of my most famous ones. I remember shooting for Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke title song, Main koi aisa geet gaoon from Yes Boss, Ishq Hua from Ishq, songs in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.
She shot ‘Main teri rani tu raja mera’ in Lootere. I was coming from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, so from ghagra choli to just a shirt was a makeover. When I saw how the song turned out, I was amazed. Saroj ji could make everything look classy. She had the finesse to make a seductive song look good and not cheap. Another song that I remember was in Karobaar. We were shooting in South Africa with Anil Kapoor ji and Rishi Kapoor ji and Rakesh Roshanji was directing us. I remember crying and insisting that I would feel comfortable shooting the song only with Sarojji. Rakesh ji was kind and called her up. She was in India, shooting for some other film and came after a few days. In the 1990s, she was booked and overbooked at times too.
Whenever I worked with her, it would take me a day or two to get into the groove and in the next two days, the song would be over, and then we would connect after six months on the next song.
I loved working with her, but was always anxious.