Saroj Khan, a prominent Bollywood choreographer, died of cardiac arrest at a Mumbai hospital early Friday morning (July 3), his family said. She was 71 years old.
The three-time National Award winner was hospitalized last Saturday after she complained of shortness of breath. She tested negative for COVID-19, the Press Trust of the India news agency said.
Khan choreographed over 2,000 songs in his career spanning over 40 years. Leading actresses, including Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi, danced to some of the most popular songs Khan had produced.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar said he made the dance look easy, almost as if anyone could do it. “A great loss to the industry,” Kumar tweeted.
Khan started her acting career at the age of 3 in a Bollywood movie. She later switched to choreography and had her break in 1974. She never looked back and created some of Bollywood’s most popular songs.
She won praise for songs in movies Lord india, Chandni, Beta, Tezaab and Gulab gang.
Khan was buried in a Mumbai cemetery on Friday, her nephew Manish Jagwani told reporters.
Her husband and three children survive her.
