Remembering Surekha Sikri Through Her Films On Her Birth Anniversary

Surekha Sikri, a three-time National Award winner, was best known for her role in the television serial Balika Vadhu. The legendary actor died at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest last year. There'd be no befitting remembrance than watching Surekha Sikri films on her birth anniversary.

Actor Surekha Sikri started her film career in 1978 in the film Kissaa Kursee Kaa. Sikri who was mostly seen in supporting roles managed to charm the audience with her exceptional performance. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress three times for the films Tamas, Mammo and Badhaai Ho.

The actor was known in every household because of her stint on television. She appeared in many television serials including Balika Vadhu, Kabhie Kabhie, Saat Phere... Saloni Safar Ka among others. The actor was last seen in Zoya Akhtar's Netflix anthological short film Ghost Stories. We have compiled a list of films to watch to commemorate the talented Surekha Sikri!

Surekha Sikri Films To Watch

Kissaa Kursee Kaa

Starring veteran actors like Shabana Azmi, Rehana Sultan, Utpal Dutt and others alongside Surekha Sikri, this film was based on the politics of Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi and was banned by the Indian Government during the Emergency period. The political satire revolved around a corrupt politician (Manohar Singh) trying to woo personified public, depicted as mute and helpless looking Janta (Shabana Azmi). Sikri played the role of Meera as a supporting character in the Amrit Nahata film.

Tamas

1998 film Tamas is based on Bhisham Sahni's Hindi novel by the same name set in the backdrop of the 1947 Partition of India. Sikri played the supporting role of Rajo in Govind Nihalani’s film providing shelter to the elderly couple Harnam Singh (Bhisham Sahni) and wife Banto (Dina Pathak). Surekha Sikri amassed her first National Award for Best Supporting Role for the film. Filmmaker Govind Nihalani recalled working with Sikri as he mentioned, "As a performer, Surekhaji had a fine mind. She could understand and grasp the nuances and essence of her character immediately — enabling her to create the body language, walk, speaking style, etc. But when you saw her performances you would never know that she worked hard on them. They looked so effortless."

Surekha Sikri As Rajjo

Mammo

Starring alongside Amit Phalke and Farida Jalal, Surekha Sikri won the National Award for Best Supporting Role for the second time for Mammo. The actor played the role of Riyaz's (Phalke) grandmother Fayyuzi while Jalal portrayed the role of her sister, Mammo. Even though the plot was driven by Jalal's Mammo, Sikri's Fayyazi was also portrayed with brilliance which made the actor well-deserving for another National Award. The film was the first among Shyam Benegal's Muslim trilogy and was highly acclaimed by the critics.

Parinati

Directed by Prakash Jha, the film stars Surekha Sikri, Nandita Das and other coveted actors in the film. The is based on a folk tale of Rajasthan which revolves around Ganesh, a potterman, his wife Kurja (Surekha Sikri) and Lachman, their son, and their wife played by Nandita Das. The film made in the 80s by Jha who has directed films like Satyagraha and Rajneeti is also a political film and a commentary on people's greed. Sikri's Kurja and her husband Ganesh are extremely greedy and their greed comes at a price. The story is reportedly based on a book by the acclaimed late Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha.

Suggested Reading: 10 Things About National Award Winner Surekha Sikri

Badhaai Ho

Surekha Sikri won her third National Award for Best Supporting Role for Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer 2018 film Badhaai Ho. Surekha Sikri played the role of a nagging and complaining grandmother, Durgamati Dhirendra Kaushik, who kept complaining about her daughter-in-law Bubbly, played by Neena Gupta. The audience admired her rather a comic role in the film as they enjoyed the blabber between the mother and daughters-in-law. Actor Gajraj Rao played her son Jeetu in the film.

Surekha Sikri in Badhaai Ho