National Award-winning actor Surekha Sikri who is best known for her work in the films Mammo, Badhaai Ho, and TV show Balika Vadhu, breathed last this morning as she succumbed to a Cardiac arrest. At the age of 75, she left for her heavenly abode. Reportedly, she was suffering from complications arising out of a second brain stroke.
Conforming this unfortunate news, her manager shares, “Three-time national award-winning actress, Surekha Sikri has passed away following a cardiac arrest earlier this morning at the age of 75. She had been suffering from complications arising from a second brain stroke. She was surrounded by family and her caregivers. The family asks for privacy at this time. Om Sai Ram.”
The actress was facing health troubles for quite a long time. She had suffered a brain stroke in 2020 and a paralytic stroke earlier in 2018. Her unfortunate demise has stunned the entire film fraternity and fans.
Born on 19th April 1945, the actress leaves behind a rich body of work spread across theatre, television, and films. Best known for her role as Kalyani Devi from Balika Vadhu, she was part of the show from its inception in 2008 till its end in 2016. She impressed the audience with her crusty yet lovable mother-in-law role from 2018 released Badhaai Ho. She also received Best Supporting Actress National Award for the same.
Kick-starting her career with theatres, the actor soon entered the silver screen industry. Sikri debuted Bollywood with Amrit Nahata’s 1978 political satire Kissa Kursi Ka and followed it up with critically-acclaimed features Tamas (1986) by Govind Nihalani, for which she won her first National Film Award. She received critical acclamation for her work in Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro in 1989.
Shyam Benegal’s 1994 feature film Mammo, further established Sikri as the go-to person for significant supporting characters. She soon became a household name with her exceptional performance and widely ranging works from films to television.
Even in her 70s, she continued to entertain fans and earn acclamation for her outstanding performance. She was last seen in Netflix’s anthology Ghost Stories (2020), directed by Zoya Akhtar. She was married to Hemant Rege till his death in 2009. She is survived by her son Rahul Sikri and loved ones.
