Bollywood's ace choreographer Saroj Khan passed away in Mumbai on Friday due to cardiac arrest. Today on the occasion of Guru Purnima, actress Madhuri Dixit paid a heartfelt tribute to the National Award-winning choreographer. Taking to Instagram, she shared a throwback picture with Saroj Khan and wrote, "I still can’t believe master ji is no more. Losing a friend, philosopher & guide like her is devastating. It was difficult for me to put down my grief in words. I had spoken to her daughter when she was in the hospital & she told me that Saroj ji would be fine. Two days later, she was gone. The Guru-shishya bond that we shared, the assurance that she would be my mother on the sets, I'll miss everything. Today on the occasion of Guru Purnima, I pay my tribute to her. Nobody can make women look so beautiful, desirable & sensuous on-screen like her. She made everything look like poetry in motion. Smitten by her, I had told her, "Saroji ji, agar aap shakkar hoti na, I would add you in my cup of tea & drink it." She would laugh heartily at this. I'll miss that playful laughter."
Madhuri Dixit further added, ''The first time I met her was while shooting for Maine Rab Se from Karma. Saroj ji asked me so many questions, one being 'Where did you learn to dance?' Unfortunately, our sequence was removed from the song. I'll miss her many questions. Saroj Khan was a game changer in the industry. She was the rebel in the male-dominated profession. There were rough edges to her personality & I feel that's because life has been pretty uneven to her. I'll miss that determined & headstrong woman. Dancing in front of the camera & dancing on stage are two different things. Saroj ji taught me how to romance the camera when we worked on Ek Do Teen. Such was the song’s popularity that Filmfare had to create the Best Choreography category to honour Saroj ji. I'll miss her resolve to push the envelope all the time."
Born as Nirmala Nagpal, Saroj Khan began her career by playing the young Shyama onscreen in Nazarana. She soon became a background dancer under the mentorship of dance director B. Sohanlal. After assisting as a dance choreographer for a few years, her first independent work came in Geeta Mera Naam (1974). Saroj got noticed after she choreographed for Sridevi in Mr. India’s song “Hawa Hawai” (1987). She worked with Sridevi in films like Nagina and Chandni. This was followed by her long-term partnership with Madhuri Dixit in the 1990s in songs like “Ek Do Teen”, “Hum Ko Aaj Kal Hai Intezaar”, “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga”, “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai”, and “Tamma Tamma”.
