Pandit Birju Maharaj dies at 83: Adnan Sami, Ashoke Pandit, other celebs mourn Kathak maestro's demise

Celebrities including Adnan Sami, Ashoke Pandit and Malini Awasthi mourned the demise of Pandit Birju Mahara.

Pic courtesy: Instagram

New Delhi: On Sunday, Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj died at the age of 83, leaving the whole country in shock. The renowned dancer's demise was confirmed by his relatives.

Birju was the recipient of several awards and although his soul has departed for the heavens, his legacy will live on for eternity.

Many prominent public figures and Bollywood celebrities took to social media to mourn the loss of Birju Maharaj.

Bollywood mourns the loss of Kathak maestro

Singer Adnan Sami took to Twitter to share his grief at the demise of Pandit Birju Maharaj.

"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," wrote the singer.

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 pic.twitter.com/YpJZEeuFjH — Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) January 16, 2022

Filmmaker Ashok Pandit also tweeted for the maestro and wrote, "Sad to know about the demise of kathak legend  & vocalist Padma Vibhushan Pandit #birjumaharaj ji after suffering a heart attack in Delhi. Its an end of an era. My heartfelt condolences to his family & near ones."

Sad to know about the demise of kathak legend & vocalist Padma Vibhushan Pandit #birjumaharaj ji after suffering a heart attack in Delhi.
Its an end of an era .
My heartfelt condolences to his family & near ones .

pic.twitter.com/4DJrPmXSaC — Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) January 17, 2022

He was a legend but had a child like innocence. He was my guru but also my friend. He taught me the intricacies of dance and Abhinay but never failed to make me laugh at his funny anecdotes. pic.twitter.com/KfcqravsXX — Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit) January 17, 2022

Singer Malini Awasthi also tweeted to mourn the loss of Birju Maharaj.

She tweeted, "Today the rhythm of Indian music has stopped. The voices became silent. Price dropped to zero. Pandit Birju Maharaj, the king of Kathak, is no more. The Deodhi of Lucknow was deserted today. Maharaj ji, who spread the fragrance of the glorious tradition of Kalikabindadin ji all over the world, merged with infinity. ah! irreparable loss. peace."

pic.twitter.com/dLBEy5aPqR —  Malini Awasthi (@maliniawasthi) January 17, 2022

The nation mourns the passing of a true legend, Shri Birju Maharaj,Kathak exponent par excellence. His ghungroos were on his ankles till he breathed his last.I always admired and respected him as a giant of the medium of Kathak & will miss his presence on the firmament of dance pic.twitter.com/Wz0VLGDQPW — Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) January 17, 2022

German-Indian actress Suzanne Bernert wrote, "what a big loss."

Pandit Birju Maharaj's awards and contribution

The Kathak maestro has been conferred with numerous prestigious awards including India's second-highest civilian award – Padma Vibhushan. Other awards bestowed on him are Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Kalidas Samman, Nritya Choodamani, Andhra Ratna, Nritya Vilas, Adharshila Shikhar Samman, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Shiromani Samman, Rajiv Gandhi Peace Award.

He also has Honorary Doctorate degrees from Banares Hindu University and Khairagarh University.

Pandit Birju Maharaj apart from his immense contribution in the classical dance form of Kathak, has also choreographed some Bollywood songs like 'Aan Milo Sajana' from 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha'.

Apart from dancing, Pandit Birju Maharaj was also a talented singer, poet and drummer. He has directed, composed music and sung for two classical dance sequences for renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray's‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’ (The Chess Players).