In the rich tapestry of Indian classical arts, Sitara Devi stands out as an immortal icon, famously revered across the globe as the Queen of Kathak. Born on November 8, 1920, in Kolkata into a Brahmin family, she was originally named Dhanalakshmi, while her family affectionately called her Dhanno. Her profound passion for dance blossomed at a very tender age. Her father, Sukhdev Maharaj, was a learned scholar of Sanskrit and an accomplished Kathak guru, whereas her mother, Mathura Devi, possessed deep traditional knowledge of dance forms. During an era when respectable families deemed it entirely inappropriate for young girls to even speak of dancing, let alone pursue it, a young Sitara shattered societal norms by delivering her first professional stage performance at merely 10 years of age.
Early Training and Cinematic Journey
She received her foundational training in dance directly from her father. By the time she turned 12, she had already relocated to Mumbai, and at the age of 16, she made her cinematic debut dancing on screen in the movie ‘Nagin’. While children of that age were still grappling with the basic lessons of life, Sitara was already scaling dizzying heights of fame and recognition. When she was only 16, the legendary Rabindranath Tagore witnessed her breathtaking performance and bestowed upon her the prestigious title of Nritya Samragyi, meaning Empress of Dance. For Sitara, dance was never merely a profession; it was a sacred form of spiritual devotion. She kept her ghungroos tied to her ankles until she reached 94 years of age, never once turning away from her artistic calling. Over the course of her illustrious career, she lent her graceful choreography and dance performances to more than 100 films. Her iconic dance numbers in acclaimed movies such as ‘Shahar Ka Jadoo’, ‘Awara’, ‘Mother India’, ‘Anjana’, and ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ continue to be watched, celebrated, and admired by art enthusiasts today.
Personal Life and Marriages
As vibrant and colorful as her artistic career was, Sitara Devi's personal life was marked by an uncompromising boldness and an independent spirit. According to available records, she entered into matrimony four times. Her first marriage took place at the very young age of 8 years with Shri Desai, a union that she later chose to dissolve on her own terms. She then married the actor Nazir Ahmed Khan, for which she embraced Islam, but this relationship too eventually ended in a divorce. Following this, she tied the knot with film producer and director K. Asif, though this marriage also failed to endure and concluded in separation. Later in life, she found companionship through her fourth marriage to Gujarati businessman Pratap Barot.
A Lifetime Dedicated to the Stage
In recognition of her monumental contributions to Indian classical dance and performing arts, she was honored with numerous accolades, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Padma Shri, and the Kalidas Samman. However, when the Indian government later sought to honor her with the Padma Bhushan, she politely declined the award, asserting that her lifetime contribution to the arts far exceeded that recognition, instead making a case for the Bharat Ratna. Remarkably, even at the advanced age of 94, she possessed the stamina to perform uninterrupted on stage for 45 minutes. Her final stage performance took place in Mumbai in 2013. On November 25, 2014, at the age of 94, she breathed her last, but her indelible legacy and the rhythmic chime of her ghungroos will echo through the corridors of classical dance history forever.
