Birju Maharaj - A Lifestory

Here is an introduction for Birju Maharaj: Birju Maharaj, a name known with Kathak dance, was a real hero. He was born Brijmohan Nath Mishra in 1938 into a family of famous dancers. His path started with his father, Acchan Maharaj, who taught him. He was only nine years old when his father died, but he kept learning with his uncles. This made his place in the Lucknow Kalka Bindadin family strong. He became very good at dancing very fast. He was not just a dancer; he also wrote music, sang, and was a great Kathak dancer. He changed the dance, adding new ways of doing things. The world saw how good he was in movies like Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977), where he made up the dance parts. He also worked on the famous song "Kahe Chhed Mohe" from Devdas (2002). Maharaj Ji got many awards during his life. He got the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1964, the Padma Vibhushan in 1986, and the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography for Devdas. He worked with other famous artists like Lata Mangeshkar and Ustad Zakir Hussain. He also started his own dance school, Kalashram, and taught what he knew to young people. What he did made the dance world better, and his work still helps dancers all over the world. He died in January of 2022 (01 January 2022).