Mumbai, July 3 : On the death anniversary of legendary choreographer Saroj Khan, filmmaker Subhash Ghai paid a heartfelt tribute to her.

He remembered her extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema. Reflecting on their long creative association, Ghai praised Saroj Khan's unique ability to train even non-dancers and transform them into confident performers on screen. In his post, the filmmaker called her an irreplaceable talent whose legacy continues to inspire generations. Sharing a rare throwback image, Subhash wrote, â??Dear Saroj Khan Indian cinema wud always miss u as an institutional choreographer with so much instinctive n artistic talent who respected lyricists n music n directors vision in each song Specially me n mukta arts. We Loved We fought. We agreed we dint agree but you were the integrated part of my life as a director of all my films.â??

â??The best part in u was to train a non dancer / new comer n turned them into amazing dancer on screen. I remember - you training Jacki shroff in Hero N Madhuri Dixit in Ram Lakhan - a first filmfare award instituted as choreographer award was given to you for film HERO 1983 Rest is history. You will always be remembered as master choreographer n great human being. RIP.â??

Legendary choreographer Saroj Khan, fondly known as Masterji, passed away on July 3, 2020, at the age of 71 following a cardiac arrest.

The three-time National Award-winning choreographer had an illustrious career spanning decades, during which she choreographed more than 2,000 songs. Some of her most iconic works include evergreen hits like â??Dhak Dhak Karne Lagaâ?? from Beta, â??Ek Do Teenâ?? from Tezaab, and â??Hawa Hawaiâ?? from Mr. India, among many others.

Her last film as a choreographer was â??Kalankâ?? which featured Madhuri Dixit. Her demise was widely mourned across the film industry, with several celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

/IANS