Pandit Birju Maharaj death: some lesser-known facts about the Kathak maestro

Legendary Kathak dancer, Pandit Birju Maharaj breathed his last on late Sunday night after he suffered a heart attack. Born as Brijmohan Mishra, the 83-year-old Kathak dancer was popularly known as ‘Pandit Birju Maharaj’. He was born in the Lucknow Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Kathak dance, on February 4, 1938.

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With the passing away of the legendary dancer, an era has come to an end. While the country mourns his demise, here are some lesser-known facts about Pandit Birju Maharaj.

The first time Pandit Birju Maharaj gave his recital, he was barely seven years old. Pandit ji, as he was fondly called by pupils, was trained in Kathak by his father, Acchan Maharaj. Coming from a family of trained Kathak dancers, Birju Maharaj was also trained by his two uncles Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj. Birju Maharaj reportedly started teaching Kathak when he turned 13-years-old. He used to conduct the classes at New Delhi’s Sangeet Bharti.

Pandit Birju Maharaj took Kathak to new heights. Continuing the legacy of his family that produced aced Kathak dancers, Birju Maharaj formed new heights for Kathak as he would choreograph Kathak dance into dramas.

Throughout his career, Pandit Birju Maharaj travelled across the globe, giving thousands of performances and hosting hundreds of Kathak workshops for students.

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Pandit Birju Maharaj was heading the famous Kathak Kendra in New Delhi. He continued to be the head of the academy till the time he retired from his post in the year 1998. After his retirement from Kathak Kendra, Birju Maharaj opened up his own Kathak academy, named ‘Kalashram’, which too was based in New Delhi.

The Kathak maestro, Pandit Birju Maharaj was an avid lover of Hindustani Classical music as well. Very few are aware that apart from Kathak, he had inclined towards music also. He was an equally exception singer and composer. In fact, he sang and composed music for ‘Shatranj ke Khilari’.

Pandit Birju Maharaj has also choreographed many Bollywood songs. In fact, actor Madhuri Dixit was one of his students whom he had trained for the 2002 film ‘Devdas’ in the song ‘Kaahe Ched Mohe’. The most recent song that he choreographed in Bollywood featured Deepika Padukone in Bajirao Mastani’s song ‘Mohe Rang Do Laal’.