A force of nature, veteran Bollywood actor Surekha Sikri passed away from a cardiac arrest recently at the age of 75. A three time National Award winner, she had been ill for some time, and had two strokes in the past four years. The actor was known for films like 'Badhaai Ho', TV shows like 'Balika Vadhu', and Hindi theatre productions.
Bollywood celebrities shared their condolences. Filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who worked with Sikri in 'Mammo', said, “She was such a brilliant actor that whatever role you gave her she would own it. She played both sympathetic and non-sympathetic roles with elan. She was a top-class, highly competent actor.”
Sikri, who was born in New Delhi, won her National Film Awards for 'Tamas', 'Mammo' and 'Badhaai Ho.' Neena Gupta, who played the daughter-in-law of Sikri's character in 2018's 'Badhaai Ho', said the actress was one of her heroes. "I remember when I was a student in the National School of Drama and how we would sneak in and watch her act," she said on Instagram. "I [thought] I want to become an actress like her."
Actor Manoj Bajpayee, her 'Zubeidaa' co-star, said she was "a treat to watch on stage" and "a graceful person". Actor and producer Pooja Bhatt described Sikri as "a force of nature if ever there was one". "Hence I won't say rest in peace but rage in peace Surekhaji," she tweeted. "As you did, during your time on earth!" "She was surrounded by family and her caregivers. The family asks for privacy at this time."
