Sitara Devi was a legend and a key player in popularizing one of the most loved Indian Classical Dance form- Kathak!
As a token of honor to her contribution, Google thanked her by creating her vivid Doodle on her birth anniversary today i.e. 8th November 2017!
This majestic dancer was born in Kolkata on November 8th, 1920 and was described as “Nritya Samragini” by Rabindranath Tagore. During her career which spanned for about whopping six decades, she performed at various reputed concerts including at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hal in New York, thus introducing this mesmerizing dance form on the global platform.
She has also been a part of many Bollywood movies. Her film as a child actor was Aurat ka dil. She also starred in Phool by Mughal-e-Azam acclaimed director, K.Asif, whom she later married. After the end of her marriage with K.Asif, she later on, married Pratap Barot.
Her Father, Sukhdev Maharaj, a Vaishnavite scholar was also a learned dancer and musician, who was known as the Benares gharana of Kathak. Being very well abreast to the Natya Shastra, he also taught his daughter the concept of Tandava and Lasya.
She is known to be really compelling in popularizing the Classical Dance form, throughout the World.
“People were horrified hearing the ghungroos sounds from our house because only tawaifs wore ghungroos. But my father declared his daughters would not be confined to a life of dishwashing and housework. People retorted, will they dance in mujras?… If I am no more, and if tomorrow, God Forbid, Birju Maharaj is no more, it will be the end of Kathak. The End like they say in the films,” she told The Hindu in an interview in 2009.
Sitara Devi passed away on 25th November, 2014!
