10 Iconic Performances by Surekha Sikri

3 times national and award winner and a renowned face of Indian television, Surekha Sikri was undoubtedly a gem actor. She was known for her bold and outstanding performances in Tamas, Mammo, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Zubeidaa, Badhaai Ho, and daily soap Balika Vadhu. She was last seen in Netflix’s anthology “Ghost Stories”, directed by Zoya Akhtar. Her choice of roles, interest in the Indian culture and heritage, and outstanding acting skills made her steal many hearts. As a tribute to her and the legacy that she has left behind, let’s have a look at the 10 of the most iconic performances by Surekha Sikri

Tamas

This movie was released in 1988 and portrayed the partition of India and Pakistan beautifully. It is based on Bhisham Sahni’s Sahitya Akademi award-winning novel. Surekha Sikri starred in the movie as Rajo. This role helped her in earning the National Award for Best Supporting Actress. The movie was centered around difficulties faced by the Sikh and Hindu exiles during the partition. 

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Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro

This movie was released in 1989 and was a turning point for Surekha Sikri’s acting career. She was cast as Amina, Salim’s mother. This was also the first time when she played a role much older in age than her real-life age. Plot of the movie centred around the effects of Hindutva extremism on minor communities. The movie also won two national film awards and Surekha’s performance gained huge appraisal. 

Mammo

This movie directed by Shyam Benegal was released in 1994. It was a part of the Muslim trilogy where Surekha essayed the role of Fayyuzi, the legal guardian of the protagonist, who encountered her long-lost sister, Mammo unexpectedly. She played the role with a perfect blend of warmth and emotions.

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Hari Bhari

Hari Bhari was released in 2000 and marked another collaboration of Surekha Sikri and Shyam Benegal. This movie centered around the life of 5 women and their struggles with reproductive rights. In this movie, Surekha has essayed the role of the eldest in the family. The movie depicted her changing life along with her granddaughter’s. The purpose of which was to show that the customs and traditions won’t change.

Parindo Ki Mehfil

Surekha Sikri was an alumnus of NSD. She continued acting throughout her career. This play is known as one of the most iconic performances of her life as it was based on the 12th century Persian Poem written by Farududdin Attar, “Mantiq-Ut-Taylor”. Her performance in this play was remarkable and took million hearts away!

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Mr and Mrs Iyer

The movie gained popularity because of Konkona Sen’s role. However, Surekha Sikri’s character was worth remembering. With only 2 mins of screen presence, her character made a remarkable point in the movie. Her anguish was on point. She was very appreciated for her fantastic acting skills.

Star Bestsellers: Kabaad

It is known to be one of the best tales of Star Bestsellers. The lead faces were Surekha Sikri and Raghubir Yadav. It very beautifully gave out the message of how a simple conversation between two people from completely different backgrounds could help curb their loneliness. It goes without saying that Surekha Sikri delivered a remarkable performance. This made the simple story worth remembering for a lifetime.

Zubeidaa 

This movie was released in 2001 and also starred Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, and Manoj Bajpayee. The plot of the movie is based on a character Riyaz (Rajit Kapoor), who yearns to understand his mother, whom he never met since as he was raised by his grandmother. Sikri essayed the role of Fayyazi in the film for which she earned a lot of credits. 

Balika Vadhu

Surekha Sikri is today known in every Indian household because of her remarkable performance in the TV soap Balika Vadhu where she played the role of “Dadisa”. The show was about the practice of child marriage prevalent in certain parts of India. She earned a number of nominations and awards for her role in this famous TV Soap. 

Badhaai Ho

One of the most critically acclaimed movies of our time, Badhai Ho starred Surekha Sikri with other leading actors like Neena Gupta, Ayushmaan Khurana, and others. Surekha Sikri essayed the role of the mother-in-law of Priyamvada. The movie depicted her character as a mother-in-law always picking up fights with Priyamvada. However, as the movie progresses she turns out to be a supportive character for her daughter-in-law. Needless to say, her character was loved and appreciated by the audience. 

Astonishing Surekha Sikri Reciting Faiz’s ‘Mujhse Pahli Si Mohabbat’ Poem

These were 10 iconic performances of Surekha Sikri that will always be appreciated by the world! She left a huge impact on the industry and her legacy will live forever. She has inspired millions of women through her roles. For more such content, stay connected with Leverage Edu!