Amitabh Bachchan remembered veteran choreographer Saroj Khan with several anecdotes, starting from his 1973 film Bandhe Haath, in which Saroj Khan was an assistant dance director and also a background dancer. Sharing a black and white memory from what appears to be the recent past, Mr Bachchan began his post by writing how the news of Saroj Khan's death prompted "an entire history of time" race in his mind. "She was a sprightly young enthusiastic dance assistant to one of the major dance directors of the time... of the time when I was just beginning... of the film Bandhe Haath with the heart throb of millions Mumtaz... with the director OP Ralhan. Mumtaz's grace and acceptance to agree to work with this newbie - she a stratospheric star, me a nobody. And Saroj ji in the crowd of dancers in a song. Her subtle grace when she moved," read an excerpt from Big B's post.
Talking about Saroj Khan's career transformation from an assistant director to a legendary Bollywood choreographer, Mr Bachchan shared a signature gesture of Saroj Khan: "And then over the years, she excelled and attained the podium title of Dance Director or as the language changed, the Choreographer of a film... her moves becoming famous for each artiste she worked with and when she would see an artist give a good shot under her care, she would call her or him aside and give a rupee coin as a gesture as a pat on the back, a 'shagun'. Many many years later, during the song sequence of a film I was doing, I became the recipient of that coin... an immense achievement."
Amitabh Bachchan also revealed he got his "best compliment" from Saroj Khan from the song Khaike Paan after Don released: "Saroj ji, you gave us and the industry, rhythm, style, grace of movement and the art of converting the lyrics in a song to a meaning in dance. On a chance meeting many many years ago she paid me my best compliment. She was living in Dubai then from marriage and when Don was released she said 'I saw the film and then after, I would go to the theatre where it was released, at the time when your song Khaike Paan was on, see it and come out. I used to do it regularly every day. I would tell the usher to let me in just to see the song and leave. That is how much I enjoyed your dance moves' - Coming from her was the ultimate."
"A legacy has passed away," Big B wrapped his post.
In another post, Amitabh Bachchan added: "And the show moves on... in remembrance of those that have left us during this time of the times."
Saroj Khan died of a cardiac arrest in Mumbai on Friday. Tributes from the likes of Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Kajol - actresses choreographed by Saroj Khan, along with stars such as Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor and others poured in from the iconic Bollywood choreographer.
Saroj Khan's last choreography was for 2019 movie Kalank.
