5 hours agoAuthor: Kavita Rajput
Noted Kathak dancer and Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj has passed away due to heart attack in the intervening night of Sunday-Monday. He was 83 years old. He breathed his last at Delhi’s Saket Hospital. Birju Maharaj was fond of playing sarod and violin. Dance was the main thing. He knew 500 thumris. His new creations are innumerable. The age at which people learn, Maharaj started teaching.
Birju Maharaj gave his first performance at the age of 7.
Brijmohan was the name
In an interview, he had said, ‘When I was born on February 4, 1938 in a hospital in Lucknow, all girls were born on that day, hence my name was Brijmohan. Then said that among the gopis I am Brijmohan. Later I came to be called Birju. The house where the eyes opened. It was called the Bindadin Gharana.
Father Achhan Maharaj and uncle Shambhu Maharaj were named among the famous artists of the country. From childhood, acquaintance with the rhythm was done through the eyes and ears. I loved kite flying, but Amma did not like flying kites and playing gilli-danda at all. Amma would insist and send it to Babuji’s gathering. When musicians like Hafiz Ali Khan and Mushtaq Khan open their vocals, they say that the boy is rhythmic. From the very beginning the rhythm and rhythm was good, it is the gift of the Lord, but Babuji used to refuse. He used to say to Amma, first get him Nazarana. Then I started performing on big and small platforms.
At the age of 22, Birju Maharaj received the National Award from the Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Maharaj had further said, ‘For the first time, at the age of just six, he sang on the stage of Rampur Nawab. Amma gave Rs 501 collected through the forums to Babuji as a tribute. He laughed and said, your son has become rich. After that he made me his disciple. Then I was seven and a half years old, but after one and a half years I was 9, then Achchan Maharaj (father) died. Seeing Amma crying, I also started crying. Now uncle started taking training from Shambhu Maharaj. At the same time, after reaching the age of 12, he also started teaching people. Dance is the only way that brings attention to the Lord.’
Madhuri and Birju Maharaj during the shooting of the song ‘Kahe Chhe Chhe Mohe’ from Devdas.
Birju Maharaj did not want to join films
On joining films, Maharaj had said, ‘I started being called abroad to perform. I have traveled almost all over the world. Performed with all the great masters like Bismillah Khan, Amir Khan and Bhimsen. Did not want to go towards films, but got people who understood the mind, then did many films. Satyajit Ray first made sure that the music would not be tampered with from hair to toe, then composed and sang for two classical dance sequences for his film ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’. After this, choreographed in ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, ‘Devdas’, ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ and ‘Bajirao Mastani’.
Madhuri was taught dance by Birju Maharaj in three films.
Madhuri Dixit was favorite
In the interview, Birju Maharaj while praising Madhuri Dixit said, she is my favorite. They have a natural feeling. Maharaj first taught Madhuri dance in a film, then that film was ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. In this jugalbandi dance sequence which was praised, it was Birju Maharaj who taught dance to Madhuri.
In this sequence, Shah Rukh Khan plays the drums and Madhuri is seen dancing in the spotlight. In an interview, Madhuri had praised Maharaj and said, ‘Maharaj ji had an amazing sense of humor and he often used to narrate funny stories related to foreign travel on the sets. When he choreographed the song ‘Kahe Ched Ched Mohe’ from Devdas, seeing the postures, acting and body language, I felt that I am not on any set but in heaven. His art was like a rainbow, saptarangi, but full of Navras.
Deepika with Birju Maharaj during the shooting of the song ‘Mohe Rang Do Lal’ from ‘Bajirao Mastani’.
Let us tell you that Birju Maharaj was also given the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography for the song ‘Mohe Rang Do Lal’ from the film ‘Bajirao Mastani’.
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