Sitara Devi

Sitara Devi was hugely responsible for popularising Kathak

Google on Wednesday marked the birth anniversary of Kathak exponent Sitara Devi with a colourful doodle.

The legendary dancer, described by Rabindranath Tagore as 'Nritya Samragini,' was born in Kolkata on November 8, 1920. In her career spanning six decades, she performed at several well-known concerts including at the Royal Albert Hall, London and Carnegie Hall, New York introducing the dance form to a global audience.

The legendary dancer was also part of many Hindi movies. She went to Mumbai (then Bombay) as a child artiste. Her first film as a child actor was Aurat Ka Dil. She also starred in Phool  by Mughal-e-Azam famed director K. Asif, whom she later went on to marry. After the marriage ended with him, she married Pratap Barot.

 

Sitara Devi  

 

Her father, Sukhadev Maharaj — a Vaishnavite scholar who was a learned dancer and musician — was known as the source of the Benaras gharana of Kathak. Well-versed in Natya Shastra, Sukhadev Maharaj taught Sitara Devi the concepts of tandava andl asya.

Sitara Devi was hugely responsible for popularising the classical dance form.

“People were horrified hearing ghungroo sounds from our house, because only tawaifs wore ghunguroos. 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 25 November, 2014.