Saroj Khan (born Nirmala Nagpal; 22 November 1948 – 3 July 2020) was an Indian dance choreographer in Hindi cinema. She was born in Bombay State (present day

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

), India. She was best known for the dance form

mujra Mujra is a dance performance by women in a format that emerged during Mughal rule in India, where the elite class and local rulers like the nawabs of the Indian society (often connected to the Mughal emperor's court) used to frequent courtesan ...

and the first woman choreographer in Bollywood. With a career spanning over forty years, she choreographed more than 3000 songs. She died on 3 July 2020 of a sudden

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

Early life and career

She was born Nirmala Nagpal. Her parents, Kishanchand Sadhu Singh and Noni Singh, migrated to India after

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

. She started her career as a child artist at the age of three with the film ''Nazarana'' as baby Shyama, and was a background dancer in the late 1950s. She learnt dance while working under film choreographer B. Sohanlal, whom she married at the age of 13 while he was 43 years and was already married with 4 children which she did not know at the time of marriage. After having three children (including one that died as an infant), the couple separated; after their separation, she married businessman Sardar Roshan Khan in 1975 and changed her name after converting to Islam. The couple have one child together: a daughter, Sukaina khan, who is known to run a dance institute in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

. Later, she moved to choreography, first as an assistant choreographer and later getting her break as an independent choreographer, with Sadhana Shivdasani's ''

Geeta Mera Naam ''Geetaa Mera Naam'' () is a 1974 Indian Hindi-language produced by R. K. Nayyar. His wife Sadhana starred in a dual role and also directed the film. The film also features Sunil Dutt, Feroz Khan and Helen. The music is by Laxmikant-Pyarela ...

'' (1974). However, she had to wait many years to receive acclaim, which came with her work with Sridevi; ''Hawa Hawai'' in '' Mr India'' (1987), ''Main Teri Dushman, Dushman Tu Mera'' in ''

Nagina Nagina is a town and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. History Nagina is the word for ''"Jewel"'' (See Negin), it was named by Syed's who received this place as jagir by the Mughals. During the British ...

'' (1986) and ''Mere Haathon Mein'' in '' Chandni'' (1989), and later with

Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Nene (née Dixit; born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. A leading actress of Indian cinema, she has appeared in over 70 films. Noted by critics for her beauty, dancing skills, and characters ...

, starting with the hit " Ek Do Teen" in ''

Tezaab ''Tezaab'' () is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language action romance film starring Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit in lead roles. The film gave Dixit her first big break, making her an overnight star. in addition to reaffirming Kapoor's star status, afte ...

'' (1988), ''

Tamma Tamma Loge Thanedaar () is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced by Sanjay Ray, Sudhir Roy under the Shiva Arts International banner and directed by Raj N. Sippy. It stars Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and music composed ...

'' in ''

Thanedaar Thanedaar () is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced by Sanjay Ray, Sudhir Roy under the Shiva Arts International banner and directed by Raj N. Sippy. It stars Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and music composed ...

'' (1990) and ''Dhak Dhak Karne Laga'' in '' Beta'' (1992). Thereafter, she went on to become one of the most successful Bollywood choreographers. In 2014, Khan worked with Madhuri Dixit again in ''

Gulaab Gang ''Gulaab Gang'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language action drama film centered on the struggle of women in India, directed by Soumik Sen and produced by Sohum Shah and Anubhav Sinha. It stars Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla in lead roles, marki ...

''. She was on the advisory board of Rishihood University.

Television appearances

Saroj Khan appeared on a reality dance show as a member of the jury in 2005 ''

Nach Baliye ''Nach Baliye'' () is an Indian Hindi-language celebrity dance reality television series that airs on Star Plus. Production Concept The show is a competition wherein 10 television celebrity couples compete against each other. Contestants danc ...

'', which aired on

STAR One Star One was an Indian pay television network based in Mumbai. It was launched on 1 November 2004 and was it owned by Star TV and distributed worldwide by Fox International Channels. In November 2006, Star One was launched in the UK on Sky. ...

along with two other judges. She also appeared in the second season of the same show. She has recently been a judge for the show ''Ustaadon Ka Ustaad'', which is aired on

Sony Entertainment Television (India) Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is an Indian Hindi-language general entertainment pay television channel, that was launched on 30 September 1995, and is owned by Culver Max Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese Sony. SET India's You ...

. She appeared on the 2008 show ''

Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan ''Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan'' is Dance class show hosted by Saroj Khan. Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan Premiered from 21 January 2008. Show People Teachers *Saroj Khan ... Head Teacher(Headmaster A.k.a. Masterji) *Manish ... Co-teacher Only for D ...

'', which was aired on

NDTV Imagine Imagine TV was a Hindi general entertainment channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, and based in New Delhi. The channel was known for shows such as '' Ramayan (2008), Chandragupta Maurya, '' Swayamvar'', ''Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo'', '' ...

. She choreographed for this show. She appeared on Sony's '' Boogie Woogie (TV series)'' show from December 2008 as one of the judges, along with

Javed Jaffrey Syed Jaaved Ahmed Jaaferi (born 4 December 1963) is an Indian actor, dancer, and comedian who has appeared in Hindi films and television shows. He is son of the comedian Jagdeep. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in March, 2014 and contested ...

Naved Jaffrey ''Boogie Woogie'' was an Indian dance competition television series created and directed by Naved Jaffrey, Ashu Jain and Ravi Behl for Sony Entertainment Television and Sony Entertainment Television Asia. Debuting in 1996, the show was judged ...

and

Ravi Behl Ravi Behl (born 10 May 1966) is an Indian actor and television producer belonging to Behl family of Hindi films. He is better known for the 1991 film Narsimha and co-host of dance show ''Boogie Woogie'', that he co-produced with Naved Jaffe ...

. She was a judge on the third season of a popular show – '' Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'', which began on 27 February 2009 and was aired on

alongside former ''

'' judge

Vaibhavi Merchant Vaibhavi Merchant (born 17 December 1975) is an Indian dance choreographer working in Bollywood films. She won National Film Award for Best Choreography for the song ''Dholi Taaro Dhol Baaje'' from ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' in 1999. Career ...

and actress

Juhi Chawla Juhi Chawla (born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, film producer and entrepreneur. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and v ...

. She was judging the dance reality show ''

''. She has hosted and completed ''Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan''. In 2012, ''The Saroj Khan Story'', a documentary produced by PSBT and

Films Division of India The Films Division of India (FDI), commonly referred as Films Division, was established in 1948 following the independence of India. It was the first state film production and distribution unit, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcastin ...

and directed by Nidhi Tuli was released. She appeared in ''

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah ''Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah'' () is an Indian sitcom based on the weekly column "Duniya Ne Undha Chasma" by Taarak Mehta in '' Chitralekha'' magazine. It is produced by Asit Kumar Modi. It premiered on 28 July 2008 and airs on Sony SAB ...

'' as a judge in a dance competition. She won three National Film Awards and eight Filmfare Awards, the most recognition of any choreographer.

Death

Saroj Khan was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital at Bandra,

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

on 17 June 2020, because of breathing difficulties, and died of

on 3 July 2020 at the age of 71.

Selected filmography

* ''Sanam Tujhko'' Music Video (2020) * ''

Kalank ''Kalank'' (; ) is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language period romantic drama film directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under Dharma Productions and Sajid Nadiadwala under Nadiadwala Grandson Ent ...

'' (2019) * '' Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'' (2019) * ''

Byomkesh Pawrbo ''Byomkesh Pawrbo'' (English:''Byomkesh Episode'') is a 2016 Indian Bengali language thriller film directed by Arindam Sil and the film is the sequel to 2015 film '' Har Har Byomkesh''. Produced jointly under the banner of Shree Venkatesh Film ...

'' (2016) Bengali Film * ''

Tanu Weds Manu Returns ''Tanu Weds Manu Returns'' is a 2015 Indian romantic comedy film directed by Aanand L. Rai which is a sequel to the 2011 film ''Tanu Weds Manu''. R. Madhavan, Kangana Ranaut, Jimmy Sheirgill, Deepak Dobriyal, Swara Bhaskar and Eijaz Khan repris ...

'' (2015) * ''

'' (2014) * ''

Kochadaiiyaan ''Kochadaiiyaan: The Legend'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language 3D animated action film written by K. S. Ravikumar and directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth. It is India's first photorealistic motion capture film, featuring characters whose de ...

'' (

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

) (2014) * '' ABCD: Any Body Can Dance'' (2012) * ''

Rowdy Rathore ''Rowdy Rathore'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Prabhu Deva and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala under the UTV Motion Pictures and Bhansali Productions banners. A remake of the 2006 Telugu f ...

'' (2012) * '' Agent Vinod'' (2012) * ''

Khatta Meetha ''Khatta Meetha ''is a Hindi/Urdu phrase which means "sweet and sour". It may refer to: * ''Khatta Meetha'' (1978 film), a Bollywood film directed by Basu Chatterjee, starring Ashok Kumar and Rakesh Roshan in the lead roles * ''Khatta Meetha'' (20 ...

'' (2010) * ''

Life Partner The term significant other (SO) has different uses in psychology and in colloquial language. Colloquially, "significant other" is used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming ...

'' (2009) * '' Love Aaj Kal'' (2009) * ''

Delhi-6 ''Delhi-6'' is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan as an NRI who arrives in India with his ailing grandmother (played by Waheeda Rehman) and begins discovering his root ...

'' (2009) * ''

Jab We Met ''Jab We Met'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Dhilin Mehta under his banner Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. The film stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their f ...

'' (2007) (Won the National Film Award for Best Choreography) * ''

Namastey London ''Namastey London'' () is a 2007 Indian romance film, directed and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in lead roles. It also stars Rishi Kapoor, Nina Wadia, Javed Sheikh, Upen Patel and Clive Standen in s ...

'' (2007) * ''

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

'' (2007) (Won the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography) * ''

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal ''Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal'' ( en, Get Set Goal) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film produced by Ronnie Screwvala and directed by Vivek Agnihotri for UTV Motion Pictures. The film stars John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi and Boman ...

'' (2007) * ''

Saawariya ''Saawariya'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romance film produced and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1848 short story ''White Nights''. The film marked the debut of Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Rani M ...

'' (2007) * ''

Don - The Chase Begins Again ''Don: The Chase Begins Again'', better known simply as ''Don'', is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Farhan Akhtar. The film was produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Akhtar's production company Excel Entertainment. The ...

'' (2006) * '' Fanaa'' (2006) * '' Mangal Pandey: The Rising'' (2005) * '' Sringaram'' (2005) (

) Won the National Film Award for Best Choreography * ''

Veer-Zaara ''Veer-Zaara'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, who co-produced it with his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (K ...

'' (2004) * ''

Swades ''Swades: We, the People'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language drama film co-written, directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi and Kishori Ballal while Daya Shankar Pandey, Rajesh Vivek, Lekh Tan ...

'' (2004) * '' Kuch Naa Kaho'' (2004) * '' Dhund: The Fog'' (2003) * '' Saathiya'' (2002) * ''

Devdas ''Devdas'' ( bn, দেবদাস, transliterated as ''Debdās'') is a Bengali romance novel written by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee. The story pivots a tragic triangle linking Devdas, an archetypal lover in viraha (separation); Paro, his forbidd ...

'' (2002) Won the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography & National Film Award * '' Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India'' (2001) Won the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography * ''

Hum Ho Gaye Aapke ''Hum Ho Gaye Aapke'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film, directed by Agathiyan, stars Fardeen Khan and Reema Sen in her Bollywood debut. It is a remake of Agathiyan's Tamil film '' Gokulathil Seethai'' (1996). The film was ...

'' (2001) * ''

Fiza ''Fiza'', also known as ''Fiza: In Search Of Her Brother'', is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film written and directed by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor as the eponymous lead, along with Hrithik Roshan as her terrorist ...

'' (2000) * '' Taal'' (1999) * ''

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It was released internationally as ''Straight From the Heart''. The film stars Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn. B ...

'' (1999) Won the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography & American Choreography Award * ''

Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

'' (1998) * '' Vinashak - Destroyer'' (1998) * ''

Choodalani Vundi ''Choodalani Vundi'' () is a 1998 Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Gunasekhar, and produced by C. Aswani Dutt under Vyjayanthi Movies. This film stars Chiranjeevi, Soundarya, Anjala Zaveri and Prakash Raj. The fi ...

'' (1998) Telugu movie * ''

Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya ''Aur Pyar Ho Gaya'' (English: And Love Happened) is a 1997 Indian Hindi romance film directed by Rahul Rawail and starring Bobby Deol and Aishwarya Rai. This film marked the Hindi debut for Aishwarya Rai. The film's music was composed by the ...

'' (1997) * '' Pardes'' (1997) * ''

Iruvar ''Iruvar'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language epic political drama film co-written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film, inspired by the lives of M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa is set against the backdrop ...

'' (1997) (

) * '' Khamoshi: The Musical'' (1996) * '' Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'' (1995) * ''

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

'' (1995) * '' Yaraana'' (1995) * ''

Mohra ''Mohra'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film co-written, edited and directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by his father Gulshan Rai. It stars Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Raveena Tandon in the lead roles, along with Naseeruddin ...

'' (1994) * ''

Anjaam ''Anjaam'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language psychological thriller film directed by Rahul Rawail. It stars Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan in lead roles, with Tinnu Anand, Johnny Lever, Kalpana Iyer, Himani Shivpuri, Sudha Chandran, Beena, ...

'' (1994) * ''

Baazigar ''Baazigar'' () is a 1993 Indian romantic crime thriller film directed by Abbas–Mustan and produced by Venus Movies. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles, while Raakhee, Shilpa Shetty, Dalip Tahil, Siddharth Ray, and Johnny Le ...

'' (1993) * ''

Tholi Muddhu ''Tholi Muddhu'' () is a 1993 Indian Telugu-language teen romance film directed by K. Rushendra Reddy and starring Prashanth and Divya Bharati. The film is a remake of the 1990 Bollywood Super Hit '' Dil''. The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiya ...

'' (1993) (

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

) * '' Aaina'' (1993) * ''

Khalnayak ''Khal Nayak'' () is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language action crime film produced and directed by Subhash Ghai. The film's plot centers on the escape and attempted capture of criminal Ballu ( Sanjay Dutt as antihero) by Inspector Ram (Jackie Shrof ...

'' (1993) * ''

Darr ''Darr: A Violent Love Story'' ( ''Fear'') is a 1993 Indian romantic psychological thriller film directed and produced by Yash Chopra under his banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Juhi Chawla, Sunny Deol and Shah Rukh Khan with Anupam ...

'' (1993) * '' Beta'' (1992) * ''

Vishwatma ''Vishwatma'' is a 1992 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by Gulshan Rai. It stars an ensemble cast of Sunny Deol, Naseeruddin Shah, Chunky Pandey, Divya Bharti (in her major Hindi debut), Sonam, Jyostna ...

'' (1992) * ''

Awaargi Awaargi is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Mahesh Bhatt starring Anil Kapoor, Govinda, Meenakshi Sheshadri in lead roles. Over the years it has gained critical praise and is considered a classic now. Govinda received critica ...

'' (1990) * ''

'' (1990) * '' Sailaab'' (1990) * '' Chandni'' (1989) * ''

Chaalbaaz ''ChaalBaaz'' (, ) is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language slapstick film directed by Pankaj Parashar and written by Rajesh Mazumdar and Kamlesh Pandey. It stars Sridevi in dual roles, with Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth. The film revolves around twin siste ...

'' (1989) * '' Nigahen: Nagina Part II'' (1989) * ''

'' (1988) * '' Kizhakku Africavil Sheela'' (1987) Tamil movie * '' Mr India'' (1987) * '' Hifazat'' (1987) * ''

'' (1986) * ''

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

'' (1983) * ''

Thai Veedu ''Thai Veedu'' () is a 1983 Indian Tamil-language film directed by R. Thyagarajan, starring Rajinikanth and Anita Raj. The film, released on 14 April 1983, was simultaneously in Hindi as '' Jeet Hamaari'' with Rajinikanth returning. Plot R ...

'' (1983) Tamil movie * ''

'' (1974) ;As writer * ''

Veeru Dada ''Veeru Dada '' is a 1990 Bollywood film directed by K. R. Reddy and starring Dharmendra, Amrita Singh, Aditya Pancholi and Farah Naaz. Plot Widower Chandrakant lives poor lifestyle in India along with his daughter, Rekha, who runs a Yoga Clas ...

'' (1990) * '' Khiladi'' (1992) * '' Hum Hain Bemisaal'' (1994) * ''

Nazar Ke Samne ''Nazar Ke Samne'' is a 1995 Indian action film directed by Jagdish A. Sharma. It stars Akshay Kumar, Kiran Kumar, Mukesh Khanna, Dalip Tahil and Farheen in pivotal role. Plot Umesh, a photographer is arrested for the murder of his newspaper e ...

'' (1995) * '' Chhote Sarkar'' (1996) * '' Dil Tera Diwana'' (1996) * ''

Daava ''Daava'' is a 1997 Indian Hindi action drama movie directed by Sunil Agnihotri and starring Naseeruddin Shah, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and Akshay Anand in lead roles. Plot Inspector Arjun is an honest and diligent police officer. He has ...

'' (1997) * ''

Judge Mujrim ''Judge Mujrim'' () is a 1997 Hindi-language action film produced by Jayant B. Shah under the Shiv Shakti Productions banner and directed by Jagdish A Sharma. It stars Jeetendra, Sunil Shetty, and Ashwini Bhave . The music was composed by Bappi ...

'' (1997) * '' Bhai Bhai'' (1997) * '' Hote Hote Pyar Ho Gaya'' (1999) * '' Benaam'' (1999) * ''

Khanjar A ''khanjar'' ( ar, خنجر, ku, Xencer, bn, খঞ্জর, khôñjôr tr, Hançer, fa, خنجر, ur, خنجر, sh, Handžar) is a traditional dagger originating from Oman, although it has since spread to the rest of the Middle Eas ...

'' (2003)

Awards and recognitions

Saroj Khan was the recipient of the most National Film Awards for Best Choreography with three wins.

Filmfare Best Choreography Award The Filmfare Best Choreography Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Although the awards started in 1954, the best choreography category did not start until 1989. Saroj Khan with 8 wi ...

Saroj Khan was the first recipient of the filmfare Best Choreography Award. Filmfare instituted this award after watching the excellent choreography and audience response to Khan's song "Ek Do Teen" from ''

''. Saroj Khan went on to have a hat-trick at the Filmfare awards winning consistently for 3 years from 1989 to 1991. She also held the record for winning the most Filmfare Best Choreographer Awards, winning 8. * 2008 – ''

'' for the song "

Barso Re "Barso Re" is a song from soundtrack of the 2007 Indian Hindi biographical film ''Guru'', directed by Mani Ratnam. The song was composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics provided by Gulzar and sung by Shreya Ghoshal, featuring Uday Mazumdar. The s ...

" * 2003 – ''

'' for the song "

Dola Re Dola "Dola Re Dola" is a song from the 2002 Indian period romantic drama film ''Devdas'', directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit. The song was composed by Ismail Darbar, with lyrics provided b ...

" * 2000 – ''

'' for the song "Nimbooda Nimbooda" * 1994 – ''

'' for the song "Choli Ke Peeche" * 1993 – '' Beta'' for the song "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga" * 1991 – '' Sailaab'' for the song " Humko Aaj Kal Hai Intezaar" * 1990 – ''

ChaalBaaz ''ChaalBaaz'' (, ) is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language slapstick film directed by Pankaj Parashar and written by Rajesh Mazumdar and Kamlesh Pandey. It stars Sridevi in dual roles, with Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth. The film revolves around twin siste ...

'' for the song "Na Jaane Kahan Se" * 1989 – ''

'' for the song " Ek Do Teen"

American Choreography Award The American Choreography Awards was a ceremony and show that honored outstanding choreographers in the fields of feature film, television, music videos, and commercials. They were first known as the L.A. Dance Awards (1994–95), then as Bob Fo ...

* 2002: Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film: '' Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India'' (2001)

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...

* 1998: Nandi Award for Best Choreographer: ''

Zee Cine Award for Best Choreography The Zee Cine Award for Best Choreography Award is chosen by the jury and the winner is announced at the ceremony. Awards Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won. See also * Zee Cine Awardss * Bollywood Hind ...

* 2003 – ''

'' for the song "

" Kalakar Awards * 2011: 19th Annual Kalakar Achiever Award for Outstanding Contribution in Dance Choreography

IIFA Awards The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...

* 2000 – IIFA Award for Best Choreography for the song "Nimbooda Nimbooda" from ''

'' * 2019 –

IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award The IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award is an Indian cinema prize, one of International Indian Film Academy Awards. List of Honourees The recipients of this award are listed below. References

{{IIFA Awards International Indian Film Acade ...

''The Saroj Khan Story'' is a 2012 Indian

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

on Khan's life directed by Nidhi Tuli and produced by

Public Service Broadcasting Trust The Public Service Broadcasting Trust is an Indian non-governmental organisation. It helps independent documentary film-makers to work free from commercial and political pressures. It hosts the annual Open Frame film festival in New Delhi ...

Controversy

In April 2018, Khan made statements defending the practice of

casting couch The casting couch is a euphemism for the practice of soliciting sexual favors from a job applicant in exchange for employment in the entertainment industry, primarily acting roles. The practice is illegal in the United States. Predominantly m ...

, stating that the film industry provides people employment and "doesn't

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

and abandon" them. Following an online backlash, she apologised for her comments.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Saroj 1948 births 2020 deaths 20th-century Indian dancers 20th-century Indian women artists 21st-century Indian dancers 21st-century Indian women artists Best Choreography National Film Award winners Dancers from Maharashtra Filmfare Awards winners Indian choreographers Indian female dancers Indian film choreographers Indian women choreographers Sindhi people Women artists from Maharashtra