Surekha Sikri: Dadi Sa of the small screen, cantankerous grandmother of big screen

Veteran actor Surekha Sikri died on Friday morning at the age of 75 following a cardiac arrest. The three-time National Award-winning actor is very popular in theater, cinema, and small screen and her most lovable characters are Dadi Sa in TV show ‘Balika Vadhu’ and intrusive grandmother in Ayushmann Khurrana’s film ‘Badhaai Ho’.

A look at some of her stories that are not known to many.

She wanted to be a journalist

She was very good at studies since childhood and always aspired to become a journalist or writer. However, destiny had different plans for her. Her mother asked her to fill the form of National School of Drama (NSD). She filled the form, auditioned, and was selected in 1965.

‘Kissa Kursi Kawas’ was her first film when it comes to movies 

This film came out in the year 1978 and was widely appreciated. She, then, went on doing films like ‘Tamas’, ‘Salim Langade Par Mat Ro’, ‘Little Buddha’, ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘Zubaida’, ‘Kali Salwar’, ‘Raincoat’, ‘Dave D’, ‘GoSt Stories’, and ‘Badhaai Ho’. The senior actor has won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress thrice, for her roles in Tamas, Mammo, and Badhaai Ho.

The senior actor is related to Naseeruddin Shah

Before marrying Ratna Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin Shah was briefly married to a woman named Manara Sikri (also known as Parveen Murad). As per various reports, Naseer married Manara, who was allegedly 14 years his senior, and they have a daughter together named Heeba Shah. Manara is the step-sister of Surekha. 

Sangeet Natak Akademi award 

She has also won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1989 for her contributions towards Hindi theatre and many awards for the negative role of Dadisa, in the primetime soap ‘Balika Vadhu’