This actress did only 31 films, won three National Awards, became star in her mid-60s, was Naseeruddin Shah's...

Actors strive hard to achieve success and attain stardom.  However, their struggle could be a long journey, and some artistes earned fame after spending decades in the film industry. Today we will discuss about an actress who found success in her late 60s. Although she was active in films since 1977, she became a household name in 2008, for her notable work as a negative lead in a TV series. We are talking about the late Surekha Sikri. 

Surekha Sikri's background

Surekha was born on April 19, 1945, in Delhi. Her father was in the Air Force, and her mother was a teacher. Surekha also had a sister, Manara Sikri. Sikri spent her childhood in Almora and Nainital. At the beginning of her career, she attended Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Later, she graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD) in 1971. 

How Surekha Sikri was connected to Naseeruddin Shah? 

Surekha's sister, Manara Sikri, also known as Parveen Murad, was married to Naseeruddin Shah. Naseeruddin married Manara, who was 15 years older than him. However, they soon parted their ways. In that relation, Sikri was Shah's former sister-in-law. 

Surekha Sikri's film career 

After graduating from NSD, she worked there in the Repertory Company for over a decade before shifting base to Mumbai. Surekha made her acting debut with the 1977 controversial political drama film Kissa Kursi Ka. After this film, Surekha went on to play supporting roles in several other films, including Tamas (1988), Mammo (1995), Sardari Begum (1996), Zubeidaa (2001), Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2003), and several other films. 

Surekha Sikri found success in her mid-60s 

After appearing in several films and TV series, Surekha gained success with her negative role of Dadisa Kalyani Devi Dharamveer Singh in Balika Vadhu. Surekha did the series for eight years and became an integral part of the show. 

Surekha Sikri became a star in the mid-70s

Surekha further gained success in her mid-70s with her performance in Dadi Durga Devi Kaushik in Ayushmann Khurrana's Badhaai Ho. For this role, Surekha earned her third national award in the supporting role category after Tamas and Mammo. 

Surekha Sikri passed away due to...

On July 16, 2021, Surekha Sikri passed away at the age of 76 due to cardiac arrest. She was also suffering from the complications of two previous brain strokes. Her final on-screen appearance was in Kya Meri Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai? (2021). Surekha was married to Hemant Rege, who died due to heart failure in 2009. She is survived with a son, Rahul Sikri. 

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