Married her 30 years older guru, faced betrayal after becoming mother, later changed her religion to marry again, her name is…

In the glitzy and glamorous world of Bollywood, it’s usually the successful and dazzling lives of celebrities that take the center stage. However, what happens behind the scenes, the struggles and challenges, are usually swept under the carpet. One such similar tale is of a legendary choreographer who made everyone dance to her tune. But her journey was beyond her graceful, it was also about survival, betrayal, and triumph.

Saroj Khan: The Legendary Choreographer

The person that we are talking about is none other than Saroj Khan. Born on 22 November 1948, Saroj Khan came from a Hindu family; her original name was Nirmala Nagpal. Right from childhood, Saroj Khan had a knack for dancing; her graceful movements and expressions displayed a unique charm that made her stand out. Slowly, her passion turned into her profession, and she went on to teach dance to Bollywood icons like Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi, and Aishwarya Rai. But before cementing herself as a choreographer, she had already entered the industry at the tender age of three as a child artist in the film Nazarana. But later her focus transitioned from being an actor to a dancer. By the age of 13, she was working with legendary choreographer Sohanlal.

Saroj Khan’s First Marriage

In a turn of events. Saroj Khan, who was only 13, fell in love with her 43-year-old Guru, Sohanlal, and later the two got married. Sohanlal was already married at that time and had four children, despite his existing relationship and vast age gap, Saroj married him, unaware of his first marriage initially. Saroj and Sohanlal had two kids together, one of whom passed, and the other, Raju Khan, also became a choreographer. But Sohanlal refused to give her his name or accept their children publicly. Disheartened, Saroj broke all ties with him.

Why Did Saroj Khan Change Her Religion?

Later, Saroj Khan gave love a second chance. She fell in love with a Muslim man, Roshan Khan. But even Roshan had a condition from Saroj, she had to convert to Islam agree that her children would carry his name. She accepted, married him, and began her new journey as Saroj Khan.

Saroj Khan was also going through financial struggles, and to support her family, she even worked as a background dancer. One of her early appearances was in the song Mehbooba from the film Hawra Bridge. Her dedication was such that during the shooting of Dum Maro Dum, she returned to work right after performing her 8-month-old daughter’s last rites.

Later, Saroj’s breakthrough moment came with the film Geeta Mera Naam, but it was the film Main Teri Dushman from Nagina that really propelled her to fame. Later, Hawa Hawai from Mr. India turned her into a household name. She also won the Filmfare award for Best Choreographer Dum Maro Dum.

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