Surekha Sikri, a thorough perfectionist

Yet another loss for Indian cinema and TV fans!

The actress Surekha Sikri passed away on 16^th July 2021. She succumbed to cardiac arrest and breathed her last in the city of Mumbai.

Born in India before independence, she turned out to be a revolutionary actor of independent India. An alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, Sikri graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD) in 1971. She was associated with the NSD Repertory Company for as long as a decade and received the 1989 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award before shifting her abode and career to Mumbai. Her work with the NSD and the subsequent transition has been beautifully summarized by theatre director Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry.

In current times, the actor gained the most fame for her TV serial Balika Vadhu and the 2018 film Badhaai Ho.  She won several accolades for her role in Badhaai Ho. My biggest remembrance of her as an actress was in the TV show Balika Vadhu. I was taken by her strong, fitting, and inimitable role. Although when the show started, I was a college student and had all abuses for her (i.e., Dadisa) for the negative role she played. However, that is the exact indication of the gem of the actor she was. 

Always in to be a part of something bigger, to reflect radical changes through her acting, Sikri’s works were an image of the society, with an inherent message driving to change for the better.  Be it showcasing and breaking social stigmas or taking a jibe at the political system; her acting mirrored the sincerity of efforts she invested during each (final) shot. It all began with her debut (Kissa Kursi Ka) in 1978, and it only improved with every successive release. 

With three National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress (a number achieved by no other actress yet), six Indian Television Academy awards, a Filmfare award, and a Screen award to her name; the veteran left an unforgettable mark in the history of Indian film and television industry.

RIP Surekha Sikri.

Avani Raj Arora