4 days ago
The Woman Who Made Bollywood Dance, Tricked Into Marriage At 13, Forced To Convert To Islam
Fondly remembered as 'Masterji', Saroj Khan trained some of Bollywood's biggest stars, from Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit to Karisma Kapoor. Her own life, however, was marked by hardship
Today, no Bollywood film seems complete without lively songs and elaborate dance sequences. Directors such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Sooraj Barjatya are renowned for their grand sets and opulent choreography. However, long before these visual spectacles became the norm, Saroj Khan brought dance choreography into the limelight and gave it the respect it deserved. At a time when choreographers were often overlooked, she carved a niche for herself and redefined Bollywood dance. Her journey, however, was anything but easy.
Fondly remembered as 'Masterji', Saroj Khan trained some of Bollywood's biggest stars, from Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit to Karisma Kapoor. Her own life, however, was marked by hardship. Before she was born, her family fled Pakistan during the Partition and settled in India. Their financial condition deteriorated after migration, and Saroj lost her father at a young age.
In a BBC interview, Saroj once shared how her family often went to bed hungry. Her mother would place empty pots on the stove to pretend she was cooking, just so the children would fall asleep peacefully.
Worked As Child Artist
Saroj began working early to support her family. In a 2016 interview on Doordarshan's show Koshish Se Kamyaabi Tak, she shared that she had to earn to feed her family, educate her siblings, and even arrange their marriages. She worked as a child artist in films, but by the time she turned ten, the offers stopped coming. She was no longer considered a child actor, nor old enough for adult roles.
Early Marriage
At just 13, she married 43-year-old Sohanlal, a much older man who was already married with four children. Saroj had met him during her early years as a background dancer. He misled the young Saroj and convinced her to marry him. She later gave birth to a daughter who died shortly after birth and had another child with him.
It was only later that Saroj Khan discovered Sohanlal's first marriage and his children. She spoke about this painful chapter during an interview with DD, sharing that he refused to acknowledge their marriage publicly. Upon learning the truth, she decided to part ways with him.
In 1975, Saroj married Sardar Roshan Khan. Before their marriage, she made it clear that he would have to accept her children as his own. Sardar Khan already had four children, and with Saroj Khan, he had two more. Born as Saroj Kishan Chand Sadhu Singh Nagpal, she converted from Sindhi Punjabi to Islam before marrying Roshan Khan.
Saroj once said she felt a deep spiritual connection when her daughter appeared in her dreams, calling her into a mosque. She had a daughter named Kuku with Sohanlal, who sadly passed away in 2011.
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