Kathak legend Sitara Devi passes away

The legendary Kathak dancer Sitara Devi breathed her last, today, on November 24 in Mumbai's hospital.

Born in 1920 in Kolkata as Dhannolakshmi in a Brahmin Kathakar family, she chose her dancing passion over getting married at an early age. When she was 16 years-old, she performed a three hour solo-recital before Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who then gave her the title of Nritya Samrangi (meaning the empress of dance). She marked her debut in the Hindi film industry performing dance sequences in the film 'Usha Haran', thereafter she continued illumining the screen with films 'Nagina', 'Vatan' and 'Anjali'. Her most remembered performance was in 'Mother India' where she performed a holi dance dressed as a boy.

Sitara Devi's son-in-law Rajesh Mishra said that her funeral will take place on Thursday morning as they are waiting for her son Ranjit Barot, who has gone abroad for a last show.