Saroj Khan’s daughter reveals actor took care of her treatment
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 4, 2020)

Three-time National Award-winning choreographer Saroj Khan passed away in the early hours of Friday following a cardiac arrest. She was admitted to the Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra on June 20. Mirror has learnt that Salman Khan was taking care of her treatment because she had been out of work.

“Last year, Saroj ji met Salman and told him about her plight. He immediately promised her work and she was training some of his protégées,” revealed a source, adding that after she was admitted to the hospital on June 20, his NGO took charge. “In fact, last year, her grandson, too, had some health issues and Salman had taken over entire responsibility of his surgery. Saroj ji had become very close to the Khan family over the last year,” the source added.

When Mirror reached out to Saroj Khan’s daughter, Sukaina Khan, she said, “Salman Khan stood by us like a rock and helped her till the end. They were on very good terms and he even stepped in for my son’s heart surgery last year in Kerala. He was there for us when we needed the most.” Recalling an interaction with her mother a week before she was admitted to the hospital, Sukaina shares, “She was doing her namaaz and told me that she prayed for Salman’s happiness because he is misunderstood by everyone despite doing so much good for people around.”

As told to Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 4, 2020)

[Saroj Khan's death] is a personal loss. Last Saturday, when I learnt that she was hospitalised, her daughter Guddi messaged me saying she was [getting] better. Saroj was slipping in and out of consciousness and could communicate. When Guddi told her that I had called to ask for her, Saroj smiled for the first time. It was an emotional moment for me.

Aruna Irani had first recommended Saroj for a song in my film Vidhaata. I told Saroj I was making a movie with Dilip Kumar and Sanjay Dutt, and had one song left to complete. It was the climax song, Pyar Ka Imtihan, with Sarika. I was impressed with Saroj's grace. I promised her that I would give her my next movie, if she could give me a good climax song. She worked very hard, and when she gave me the song, I gave her Hero, starring Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Seshadri. For the first time, at my insistence, a special category for Best Choreography was created by a publishing house, and Saroj won it that year, for Hero.

The year that it released, Choli ke peeche became the most controversial song. When I gave her the song, she loved it and told me to [let her handle it]. We were buddies who would fight over creative calls. I told her it would feature Madhuri Dixit, and explained the situation [in the film where the song would be placed]. I told her it is a sensitive number, and that she would have to make it look aesthetically appropriate. She rehearsed for 15 days in a hall, and created each step. Each day, I would go to see what she was doing, and would fight with her over [the choreography]. We would discuss what would or wouldn't work. We could get on the same page quickly.

Saroj was the best dance teacher for every newcomer. She understood their body language and [expressions] and could choreograph steps accordingly. Hence, it would be easier for the actor — even if s/he couldn't dance — to grasp the steps. She knew the art of extracting the best from every artiste. Madhuri, Manisha [Koirala], Mahima [Chaudhry] were all newcomers when they learnt to dance for cinema, from Saroj. She was an integral part of my cinematic journey. Our bond was unbreakable.