Mumbai, Nov 25 (ANI): Eminent Kathak danseuse Sitara Devi died early Tuesday following prolonged illness. She was 94. Sitara Devi was on ventilator and her condition was serious while she was admitted to the Jaslok Hospital, said her son-in-law. Sitara Devi became a Kathak legend and is known as a pioneering force in bringing the genre to Bollywood. She is the recipient of prestigious awards like Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Shri and Kalidas Samman. Sitara Devi was born in the family of Brahmin 'kathakar' Sukhdev Maharaj in Kolkata in 1920. When she turned 11, the family moved to Mumbai, where she impressed Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore with a three-hour solo recital. The funeral of eminent Kathak legend will take place Thursday morning. She is survived by a son and a daughter. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled on the loss. The PMO tweeted, "PM has condoled the passing away of noted Kathak dancer Sitara Devi. PM also recalled her rich contribution to Kathak."
