Saroj KhanWho passed away on July 3, 2020, was considered one of the best choreographers indian cinema ever seen. Known for creating unforgettable dance sequences like ‘Ek Do Teen’ and ‘Dola Re Dola’, among many others, her professional achievements were monumental, but her personal life saw a lot of struggles and traumas. Yet, it was her passion for dance that helped her move forward. She was married at the age of just 13, but it was later revealed that the marriage was invalid. Forced to take up responsibilities early in life, he never had the chance to experience a carefree childhood. Interestingly, his entry into films was not planned but happened by chance.Recalling those early days, she had said in an interview with Prayas Se Kamyab Tak, “My father had died, and I had to run the household. I became a group dancer. I was studying and wanted to become a doctor, but God had other plans.”A defining moment in his journey came when he caught the attention of the famous dance director Sohanlal On a film set. He noticed that she was not only taking her prescribed steps, but was also matching dancer Helen’s steps perfectly. When he was asked to perform the entire routine, he did so with confidence and secured a position as his assistant at the age of just 12.However, his relationship with Sohanlal soon took a complicated turn. At the age of 13, she married him despite him being three decades older than her, only to later discover that he was already married and had four children, making their union illegal. By the age of 14, she was expecting her first child.Recalling that period in an interview with BBC, she said, “I didn’t know what marriage meant at that time. Just one day he put a black thread around my neck and I thought I was married.”Years later, in 1975, she again found favor with businessman Sardar Roshan Khan, who proposed to her. She agreed to marry him on the condition that he accept and adopt her children from a previous relationship. Saroj Khan, a Punjabi Hindu by birth, converted to Islam after marriage, honoring his request.Despite finding stability later in life, personal loss weighed on him. From her first marriage, she suffered the heartbreaking loss of a baby girl, who died within eight months of birth.