Kathak doyen Birju Maharaj dies at 83, tributes pour in

New Delhi

Leaving behind an unparalleled legacy of performing arts, Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj (1938-2022) died at the age of 83, in Delhi on Monday. The news was shared on social media by his grandson, Swaransh Mishra.

Terming his demise as the end of an era, personalities from entertainment and arts world paid their tribute to the classical dance virtuoso, who was a recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, besides other honours.

Danseuse Shovana Narayan, Maharaj’s disciple, says, “Maharaj ji was my guru since 1964. For me, he was the lord of dance and a great guru — a genius, a symbol of grace, creativity, finesse, aesthetics and precision. He gave Kathak new dimensions, taking it to international heights. He has built and made so many lives. He will always live in my memory as in the memories of infinite number of persons.”

Kuchipudi dancer Raja Reddy, who knew Maharaj since the 1970s, shares, “When you saw Birju Maharaj in front of you, and then you saw him on the stage, he was an entirely different person. The stage changed him. What a beautiful dancer of Kathak he was. When I came to know about how suddenly he passed away, I felt so sad. I knew him since the 1970s. When we came to Delhi the first time, he was teaching and performing in the Kathak Kendra. He was the doyen of Kathak dance and belongs to the Lucknow gharana. Like us, he has dedicated his entire life to the Kathak dance. His day to day working was only about Kathak, and he stood tall in front of the world because of his performance and teaching. It’s a great loss to our Bharat.”

Geetanjali Lal, a Kathak dancer, who worked with Maharaj in Delhi-based Kathak Kendra in the 1970s, says, “His grace on the stage is unmatched, and that is something I learnt from him. He was a loving, caring and ever-smiling person. Aise kalakar toh ab shayad hi kabhi paida ho, har fan (artform) mein maahir, chahe sangeet ho, nritya ho ya kavita ho. Unke bina Kathak ko sochna mushkil hai. Kathak ka doosra naam hai Birju Maharaj.”

Lal’s son Abhimanyu, also a Kathak dancer, recalls, “I knew him since I was all of 16. Even though I was not his disciple, I used to sit next to him and learn. I performed on the stage for him in 2019 on his special request, and immediately after the performance, I went to touch his feet. He said: “Tu kitna badal gaya hai re”. Will never forget his larger than life personality”.

A “grief-stricken” Rani Khanam, who hails from the Lucknow gharana, like the late Kathak doyen, says, “I am actually speechless. Many of us are so grief stricken, countless picturesque moments – time spent with him in classrooms, at his home, at Kalashram. all are flashing in my mind. Maharaj ji’s passing away marks the end of an era. May his soul rest in peace.”

Actor and Bharatanatyam dancer Sudha Chandran also penned a note on Instagram as a tribute: “End of an era… I was so fortunate to perform on the same dias that panditji had performed on. I believe legends don’t die. They live in our hearts forever.”

Cinema stars mourn the loss

Social media witnessed an outpouring of grief from the film industry. The late exponent had choreographed hit songs such as Kaahe Chhed Mohe (Devdas, 2002) and Mohe Rang Do Laal (Bajirao Mastani, 2015). He also received the National Film Award for Best Choreography for Unnai Kaanaathu (Vishwaroopam, 2013). Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Alia Bhatt, Anupam Kher and Yami Gautam Dhar were among those who bid goodbye to the Kathak legend.

Actor Kajol tweeted, “Pandit Birju Maharaj was a legend and an absolute wonder to watch… The world lost something priceless today. Rest In Peace, my deepest condolences to his family.” Actors Janhvi Kapoor and Kamal Haasan shared throwback pictures with Maharaj. And filmmaker Subhash Ghai called him “a jagat guru in Kathak” in his Instagram post.

Author tweets @siddhijainn

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