World-renowned Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj passed away at his residence in Delhi on Sunday, 16 January. The 83-year-old had reportedly suffered a heart attack.
“He was under treatment for the past month. He had sudden breathlessness at around 12:15-12:30 am last night; we brought him to the hospital within 10 minutes, but he passed away,” Ragini Maharaj, granddaughter of Birju Maharaj, told.
“Deeply saddened by the demise of Pandit Birju Maharaj ji, who gave Indian dance art a special recognition across the world. His passing is an irreparable loss to the entire art world. My condolences to his family and fans in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Monday.
Birju Maharaj was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers and an exponent of the Lucknow Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Kathak.
Actor Hema Malini tweeted: “The nation mourns the passing of a true legend, Shri Birju Maharaj,Kathak exponent par excellence. His ghungroos were on his ankles till he breathed his last.I always admired and respected him as a giant of the medium of Kathak & will miss his presence on the firmament of dance.”
Apart from being a Kathak dancer, he was also a classical singer. Meanwhile, speaking about his impeccable work front, he has been the choreographer for movies like ‘Devdas’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Umarao Jaan’, ‘Dedh Ishqiya’, and more.
