RIP Saroj Khan: Subhash Ghai pays an emotional tribute

Choreographer Saroj Khan’s demise due to cardiac arrest in the early hours of Friday, June 3, has left many saddened, including filmmaker Subhash Ghai.
Talking about her death as a “personal loss”, he said that Sarojji would live forever in the history of choreography in Indian cinema.
In a video and written statement, he said, “Saroj Khan. My biggest personal loss. An era has gone.She was an integral part of our Mukta Arts family, of my journey in cinema; Sarojji. Keeping alive classical dance in Hindi cinema was Saroj Khan. Change has come and change will come, but Saroj Khan will not. We all have become masters by becoming her students. Cinema will always remember her. Master of masters, Saroj Khan will live in the history of choreography for Indian cinema indeed. Bye Jaan. RIP.”


The prolific dance director who was a three-time National Award winner, had worked with Ghai in some of his most popular films including ‘Hero’ (1983), ‘Karma’ (1986), ‘Ram Lakhan’ (1989), ‘Khalnayak’ (1993), ‘Pardes’ (1997), ‘Taal’ (1999), ‘Yaadein’ (2001) and ‘Kisna’ (2005).
Ghai said that the choreographer was his strong partner in grooming stars such as Meenakshi Sheshadri, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Manisha Koirala and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Meenakshi was an overnight celeb after ‘Hero’ while Madhuri was a part of box office hits like ‘Tezaab’, ‘Ram Lakhan’ and ‘Khalnayak’, which were known for their superhit dances choreographed by ‘Masterji Saroj Khan, as she was fondly known as.
Aishwarya’s dance sequences in Ghai’s ‘Taal’ were also appreciated and considered as one of Sarojji’s best works.