About
Pandit Jai Kishan Maharaj is a senior Kathak dancer, choreographer, music composer, lyricist and teacher of the Lucknow Kalka-Bindadin gharana, representing its eighth generation. The elder son and disciple of Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj, he serves as a senior guru at the Kathak Kendra in Delhi.
Born into the renowned Maharaj family of Kathak, the elder son of Pandit Birju Maharaj, Jai Kishan imbibed the art from early childhood and rose to be an artist of high caliber. A senior guru at the Kathak Kendra, Delhi, he is also an established choreographer, having choreographed for productions including the Hindi film Dil To Pagal Hai, and has received numerous awards for dance and choreography.
The artistry
Jai Kishan Maharaj is admired for meteoric speed, alert precision, imaginative abhinaya, outstanding footwork and energy-charged movement, and is equally accomplished as a choreographer, music composer and lyricist. He carries the Maharaj family aesthetic into performance, teaching and stage and film choreography.
[Atlas Perspective] Pandit Jai Kishan Maharaj is a senior Kathak exponent, choreographer and guru of the Maharaj lineage. For flagship festivals and heritage programmes, he is a strong choice.
Pandit Jai Kishan Maharaj is a senior torch-bearer of the Kalka-Bindadin gharana and the Birju Maharaj legacy, sustaining one of Kathak's greatest family traditions as a performer, choreographer and senior guru.