Bollywood legend Saroj Khan dies at 71

Bollywood icon Saroj Khan, regarded as one of the most prominent choreographers of the industry, has died aged 71.

Khan’s death was confirmed by her nephew Manish Jagwani, in a chat with PTI news agency.

Local media report that Khan, who choreographed more than 2000 songs and some of Bollywood’s most iconic and popular tunes in her four decades in the industry, suffered a cardiac arrest in a Mumbai hospital.

She’s understood to have been admitted to hospital last month following complaints of breathlessness, while there are other reports that she tested negative for Covid-19.

Khan became renowned for her choreography in the 1980s, working with leading stars like Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi Kapoor, achieving hits with her direction.

For the latter, Khan choreographed Sridevi in song Hawa Hawai from 1987’s hit Mr India, which introduced the dance director as a major Bollywood force.

Bollywood stars, including actor Akshay Kumar and director Kunal Kohli, have mourned the legend’s death on social media, describing her as a game changer in the Indian movie industry.