Mumbai: World famous Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj, passes away at the age of 83. He died due to 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 mins, but he passed away,” his granddaughter Ragini Maharaj told ANI.
“He loved gadgets, always wanted to buy them at the earliest. He always said, if not a dancer, he’d have been a mechanic, his image in my mind will always be smiling,” Ragini Maharaj, granddaughter of Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj.
Adnan Sami, while sharing the post, wrote, “Extremely saddened by the news about the passing away of Legendary Kathak Dancer- Pandit Birju Maharaj ji. We have lost an unparalleled institution in the field of the performing arts. He has influenced many generations through his genius. May he rest in peace. #BirjuMaharaj”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has also paid homage to Pandit Birju Maharaj by sharing a post on social media.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolence and tweeted, “We are deeply saddened by the demise of Pandit Birju Maharaj, who gave a unique identity to Indian dance art all over the world. His passing is an irreparable loss to the entire art world. My condolences are with his family and fans in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!”
Pandit Birju Maharaj was born on February 4, 1938. He belonged to the Lucknow family. His real name was Pandit Brijmohan Mishra. Pandit Birju Maharaj was a great Kathak dancer as well as a great classical singer. Birju Maharaj’s father and guru Achchan Maharaj, uncle Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj were also famous Kathak dancers. Pandit Birju Maharaj had choreographed dance for films like Devdas, Umrao Jaan and Baji Rao Mastani. Apart from this, he also gave music in Satyajit Ray’s film ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’.
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