A Kathak star that never stopped shining

When a 16-year-old girl took the stage, even Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was left spellbound. Rising from his seat, he bestowed upon her a title that would echo through generations — “Nritya Samragni”, the empress of dance. That girl was Sitara Devi. The title stuck, but she never needed a crown. She had something better: fire in her feet and stories in her eyes.

She didn’t need to announce her arrival, her

ghungroos did it. The moment she stepped onto the stage, the air changed. That crimson bindi, the flicker of her glance, the braid heavy with jasmine — everything about her carried authority. She knew when to let silence linger and when to strike the floor till the hall trembled. Audiences leaned forward, breathless, waiting for her next move. She didn’t demand applause; she made it inevitable.

Sitara Devi’s story began in Calcutta, on Diwali eve in 1920. The lamps were lit for goddess Lakshmi, so her parents named her Dhanlakshmi. Her father, Pt Sukhdev Maharaj, was a Sanskrit scholar and a Kathak performer. Her mother came from a family of traditional artistes. Between the two, rhythm and devotion flowed through the household like a second language. She grew up surrounded by music, tabla beats and the shuffle of dancing feet.

When other children were learning alphabet, little Dhanlakshmi was learning tukras and tatkars. Her father trained her rigorously, blending the grace of the Lucknow gharana with the power of Benaras. When she defied an arranged marriage to stay in school, it was clear she wasn’t built for quiet corners. It was during a school play that she first performed and stunned her teachers. The name “Dhanlakshmi” soon made way for Sitara. Her talent found its first audience in Bombay. At 11, she performed before Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and Sir Cowasji Jehangir — a moment that would propel her into India’s artistic elite. Soon after, she took to the stage at Jehangir Hall, dazzling audiences with performances that combined tradition with personality.

Cinema came calling next. She danced in early films like Usha Haran (1940), Roti (1938), Nagina (1951) and Mother India (1957), bringing classical artistry to the silver screen. But fame never distracted her from her craft. She returned to the stage, where she belonged — performing across India and abroad, from London’s Royal Albert Hall to New York’s Carnegie Hall.

And honours followed — Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1969), Padma Shri (1973) and Kalidas Samman (1995). Yet, the titles mattered less than the legacy. Sitara was more than a dancer; she was an institution. She taught Kathak to film icons like Madhubala and Rekha, proving that classical art could thrive in modern times.

Even as age slowed her steps, her passion never dimmed. She passed away in 2014. Sitara Devi was a star who never stopped shining.

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