Kathak legend Roshan Kumari passed away on 5th Ocotber at Holy Family Hospital in Bombay due to age-related ailments. She was 82 and an exponent of the Jaipur gharana. Roshan Kumari was the daughter of noted percussionist Fakir Mohammed and celebrated singer Zohrabai Ambalewali.
Roshan Kumari’s graceful performances in films, including Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar, brought classical dance to a wider audience. For nearly 10 minutes in the film’s climax, Roshan Kumari’s footwork enthralled the audience. Among the other films in which she was seen are Bimal Roy’s Parineeta, Sohrab Modi’s Mirza Ghalib, Raja Nawathe’s Basant Bahar, and Nitin Bose’s Waris. She later also worked as choreographer in films like Gopi, Lekin…, Chaitali and Sardari Begum.
Roshan Kumari was the founder of Nritya Kala Kendra dance school at Bandra in Bombay, which trains dancers.
