RIP Shashikala: From 50s vamp to 2000s cute grandmother, all you need to know about 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi' actor

Shashikala Om Prakash Saigal was a veteran Bollywood actor who played popular supporting roles and vamp roles in movies. She has won several accolades for her performance and sadly passed away on April 4, 2021, at the age of 88.

During her early years in the career, Shashikala mainly played the role of vamp on the big screen. Her notable roles include Aarti, Chhote Sarkar, Nau Do Gyarah to name a few.

While talking about playing character artist on the big screen, Shashikala had told DNA India, "After playing a vamp in Vijay Anand's first direction, Nau Do Gyarah which flopped, I gave up hope. Tarachand Barjatya of Rajshri Pictures approached me to play the bhabhi – an out-and-out negative role in Aarti. I'd crib to Dadamoni (Ashok Kumar) that after this I'll quit. He'd laugh and say I'll be flooded with offers and become a star. My first shot for Aarti was with Meena Kumari. My line was, "Tere haathon mein jaadu hai air mere haathon mein jhaadu?" She may have ruled the box office then but I'm also a ziddi Maharashtrian. When the first take was okayed, Meenaji looked at me respectfully, held my chin and said in her nasal style: "Hai Allah! Bahut achcha pehla shot diya tum ne." Aarti became a silver jubilee hit and my mannerisms as bhabhi got both the masses and critics talking. After that Junglee, Anupama, Sujata, Phool Aur Pathar, Ayi Milan ki Bela, Gumrah and Waqt came back-to-back. I was nominated for the Filmfare award five times. As filmmakers queued up outside my house, Dadamoni's words were coming true."

Shashikala also played supporting roles as a sister-in-law, sister in many movies such as Khubsoorat, Anupama among many others.

While talking about her dance sequence with Rekha in Khubsoorat, Shashikala had said, "No, I haven't had any training in dance. Yet I've had to match steps with even Vyjayanthimala for Vijay Bhatt's Pattrani (a role Shyama refused when told who she would dance on screen with) and Saira Banu in Jawa Mohabbat. In both these instances it was kathak maestro Gopi Kishan who helped me out. Even with Khubsoorat, I was training under him. Rekha was busy and couldn't attend rehearsals. A day before the shoot, she came to watch. Gopi Kishan in his signature stylised dancer's style beckoned, "Chal re meri purani basmati, dikha apna jalwa." When I began dancing, Rekha was agape and wide-eyed. I still wonder how I managed a cabaret in Phool Aur Patthar. Robert Master would actually twist my leg painfully to teach me to twist as seductively as Helen."

Shashikala, in the 90s and early 2000s, played the role of mother and grandmother to actors namely Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and others. She starred in movies namely Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav, Rakht, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Chori Chori, Jhankaar Beats, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Baadshah.

Shashikala starred in a few TV series like Jeena Isi Ka Naam Apnapan, Dil Deke Dekho and Son Pari.

Shashikala was bestowed with the Maharashtra government's Raj Kapoor Lifetime Contribution award in 2015, Padma Shri in 2007, V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.