Hema Malini, an actor and politician, was one of the first to pay respect to the late dancer. “The nation mourns the passing of a true legend, Shri Birju Maharaj, Kathak exponent par excellence. His ghungroos were on his ankles till he breathed his last. I always admired and respected him as a giant of the medium of Kathak & will miss his presence on the firmament of dance,” on Twitter, the actor, who is also a qualified Bharatnatyam dancer, revealed the news. Her daughter, Esha Deol, later took to Twitter to say that the classical dancer had died, she said “an inspiration for generations to come.”