FAREWELL... APRIL 19, 1945 – JULY 16, 2021

Everyone’s favourite screen grandmother, Surekha Sikri, passed away recently. Devesh Sharma offers a brief profile of her life and times

- Devesh Sharma

Everytime you looked at her on screen, she’d remind you of your own grandmother. The supremely talented Surekha Sikri did a multitude of roles from the ’70s till now but Indian audiences will forever remember her as the grumpy Dadisa from her hit serial Balika Vadhu (2008-2016). She also played the grandmother in Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil (2016-2017). And in the bumper hit comedy, Badhaai Ho (2018) as well. She was bedridden in most of the film and yet made her presence felt. Her staunch support for her pregnant middle-aged daughter-in-law (played by Neena Gupta) in the latter half of the film was its turning point. She won the Filmfare Best Actor In A Supporting Role trophy for her crackling performance and also won her third National Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for the same. Her first National honour came to her for her rock-solid performance as Rajjo, a middle-aged Muslim woman who gives shelter to a Sikh couple in Tamas (1988), which was a searing portrayal of the Paritition riots. Her next National Award came for Shyam Benegal’s Mammo (1995), where she played the elder sister to Farida Jalal’s titular character. Her anguish at the deportation of her sister is palpable. She became part of Benegal’s so-called Muslim trilogy, appearing as courtesan Ittan Bai in Sardari Begum (1996) and as Fayyazi in Zubeidaa (2001).