Pandit Birju Maharaj was an Indian dancer, composer, singer and exponent of the Banaras "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers,Known for his perfect rhythm and expressive abhinaya, or gesture language, Birju Maharaj developed a style that blends elements belonging to both his uncles as well as those belonging to his father. He claimed to have inherited the precision of footwork and the play of the face and neck from his father, and the stylized fluidity of movement from his uncles. In addition to delineating episodes from the Radha-Krishna legend, Birju Maharaj innovatively used the dance form to express himself on various non-mythological and social issues. He was especially known as a brilliant choreographer, and he helped popularize dance-dramas.