Birju Maharaj, Whose Full Name Is Pandit Brij Mohan Mishra, Was An Indian Famous Kathak Dancer, Who Was One Of The Well-Known Kathak Of Lucknow. He Was In Kathak As Well As Classical Vocal. Birju Maharaj Has Taken Kathak Dance To New Heights By Adding Many New Dance Dramas. He Along With His Uncle Shambhu Maharaj Ran The Bharatiya Kala Kendra In New Delhi, Which Later Came To Be Known As Kathak Kendra. He Was Awarded The National Film Award For Best Director In 2012 For The Film Vishwaroopam. On January 17, 2022, Indian Famous Classical Kathak Dancer Birju Maharaj Died Of A Heart Attack.
Birju Maharaj Biography
Name | Birju Maharaj |
Date Of Birth | 4 February 1938 (Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow) |
Profession | Indian Famous Kathak Dancer |
Parents | Achchan Maharaj/Amma Ji Maharaj |
Famous For | Kathak Dancer And Classical Singer |
Religion | Hindi Religion |
Awards | 1986 (Padma Vibhushan) |
Age | 84 Years |
Nationality | Indian |
Famous Birju Maharaj
Birju Maharaj Was Born On 4 February 1938 In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Initially, Birju Maharaj Was Named Dukhharan But Later He Was Named Brijmohan Nath Mishra. His Father’s Name Was Jagannath Maharaj, Who Was Known As Achchan Maharaj. Birju Maharaj’s Father Jagannath Maharaj Used To Teach Him Knowledge Related To Art, But Soon After His Father’s Death, Birju Maharaj’s Uncles Shambhu Maharaj And Lachhu Maharaj Gave Him Knowledge Of Art. Birju Maharaj Was Only 9 Years Old When His Father Died.
He Later Started His Career As A Teacher At The Age Of Just 13 After Learning The Nuances Of Kathak From His Uncle. Birju Maharaj Also Got A Chance To Lead The Teacher’s Team At The Kathak Center At Sangeet Natak Academy. Birju Maharaj Tried His Hand At Kathak As Well As Music And At The Age Of Just 7 He Started Learning Music, And Made His Strong Hold In Indian Music Genre Like Dadra, Bhajans, Ghazals Etc.
Birju Maharaj’s Film Career
Birju Maharaj Started His Film Career With Satyajit Ray’s Film Shatranj Ke Khiladi Where He Composed Music As Well As Sang For Dancing On Two Songs. After This, Birju Maharaj Choreographed The Song Kahe Chhe Mohe In The 2002 Indian Hindi Film Devdas. After This, He Worked As A Choreographer For Many Songs In Indian Hindi Films Such As Umrao Jaan, Dedh Ishqiya, And Sanjay Leela Vaishali’s Film Bajirao Mastani.
Awards And Achievements
- Padma Vibhushan
- Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- Kalidas Samman
- Lata Mangeshkar Award
- Sangam Art Award
- Bharat Muni Samman
- Natya Vilas Award
- Soviet Land Nehru Award
- National Dance Shiromani Award
Film Awards
- 2012 – National Film Award For Best Choreography For The Film Vishwaroopam
- 2016 – Filmfare Award For Best Choreography For The Film Bajirao Mastani