Touted as the ‘mother of dance’ in India, legendary choreographer Saroj Khan passed away on Friday. She was 71 and was admitted to a hospital a couple of weeks back due to breathing issues.

In the wee hours of Friday (July 3), Khan suffered a cardiac arrest at that proved to be fatal for her leaving behind her legacy as a choreographer.


With a career span of over forty years, she choreographed more than 2000 songs, Saroj Khan is survived by her husband and three children, here's all you need to know about her early life, her family, children.

 10-year-old Saroj performs as a background dancer in the song “Aiye Meheraban” from Howrah Bridge

She was born on 22 November 1948 as Nirmala Nagpal. She started her career as a child artist at the age of three with the film Nazarana as child Shyama and a background dancer in the late 1950s.


She first got married at the tender age of 13 to her guru and film choreographer B. Sohanlal in 1962.

Sohanlal was 41 then and already a married man with 4 children. At the age of 14, Saroj had her first child with Sohanlal - Hamid Khan (Raju Khan).

Long back in an interview, Saroj Khan had also revealed how she got married to Sohanlal. "I used to study in school those days, then one day my dance master Sohanlal tied a black thread around my neck and I got married", she had said.

Saroj’s marriage hit the rock bottoms a couple of year later and they separated however, she continued to work for him as his assistant. They reunited again when Sohanlal had a heart attack and tried working on their relationship again, She then had another child with Sohan Lal, daughter Hina Khan (cuckoo).

Saroj’s marriage with Sohanlal didn’t last as he left her and their kids and shifted to Chennai
In 1975, she got married to businessman Sardar Roshan Khan. They were blessed with a daughter, Sukaina khan,who is known to run a dance institute in Dubai.

Although Khan started out in the early seventies, she really became a household name in the mid to late eighties, first directing dances for Sridevi, and then Madhuri Dixit

It was the 1986 film, "Nagina" that made her a household name. Sridevi's iconic dance "Main naagin tu sapera" in that film continues to be a popular number even today.

Her choreography for Sridevi the next year in Mr India, particularly the song "Hawaa hawaai" then scaled popularity.

Khan has also given Madhuri Dixit some of her most iconic hits including "Ek do teen" ("Tezaab"), and "Dhak" ("Beta") among numerous others.


Thereafter, she went on to become one of the most successful Bollywood choreographers.

Our heartfelt condolences to Saroj Khan’s family! And may the departed soul rest in peace.