Saroj Khan: The Sage age of Rage: Khan's battle royale with Rekha, Sridevi, Raveena Tandon, Amitabh Bachchan...

Found this vintage feature about Rekha and Saroj Khan's alleged disputes - and it made me think about other controversies with Khan. And there are plenty... 

There are a few odd ducks out there who quack on about how we shouldn't feature Saroj Khan here on account of a video that's online where she had a few things to say about Sridevi... 

If you know your Bollywood history, Saroj Khan has had a war of words with just about everyone over the course of her illustrious career - Khan did not suffer fools - and she certainly didn't suffer star-kids or starry tantrums. Be it Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Shahrukh Khan, Rekha, producers and directors like Ram Gopal Verma, Subash Ghai, Saawan Kumar Tak, Masterji was not afraid to call a spade a spade. If you Google and have an archive of Bollywood magazines (like I do), there are frequent articles and war of words with Khan and other celebs. Yeah she had a tiff with soft-spoken, shy Sridevi too. 

Well, fact of the matter is no relationship that has endured for decades runs smooth. Saroj Khan had a volatile relationship filled with ups and downs with every major (and minor!) star. 

Sridevi and Saroj Khan on the sets of Banjaran

Don't forget - she was a dance teacher. Ever had a teacher - esp in India - who didn't raise his/her voice?! 

Sarojji was senior to all the stars - except perhaps Vyjanthimala or Nutan, both of who she choreographed. If she said a few off the cuff things to say to anyone, be it in person or in print, it all needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Nothing Sarojji said was particularly malicious, vicious or mean-spirited. 

Smooth seas don't make skilled sailors. Sridevi's dances with Saroj Khan - after umpteen rehearsals - are tiers above what Sridevi did in the past. As Sridevi herself said, she was an unlearned dancer, everything was taught to her on set  - Sri's dances improved vastly under Khan's guidance and strict tutelage. 

Sridevi and Saroj Khan on the sets of Lamhe

The relationship with Sridevi and Saroj Khan may have wavered but they remained tight till the very end. We have so many clips of Sridevi and Saroj Khan meeting with such warmth and affection after their alleged spat - and Saroj seemed genuinely devastated when Sridevi passed so tragically. 

There are no enduring friends or enemies in the Indian film industry. If we see films as a reflection of society, well then, there are no enduring friends or enemies in life either... 

Hell, even Jaya Prada (who genuinely said a lottttttttttt of awful things about Sri over the years), recanted her vitriol. At least Devi and Khan had a Guru-shishya relationship for decades. 

The tu-tu-main-main will be long forgotten. The legacy will endure. All those magical dances, the songs, those expressions...