There is no denying the fact that Colors’ iconic show Balika Vadhu made Avika Gor a household name across India, but other talented actors on its impressive cast also contributed hugely to its incredible success during a time when every second show on television was all about saas-bahu and their unending kitchen politics.
Besides Gor’s Anandi Singh, one character that really stood out of the rest was the matriarchal disciplinarian Kalyani Devi Singh a.k.a Dadisaa, played by veteran actress Surekha Sikri. The three-time National Award-winning actress, who proved her acting mettle in films, television shows, and theatres, breathed her last today at the age of 75. She died of cardiac arrest.
Gor, who shared a warm bond with the actress, took to social media to pay her homage. Sharing a still from Balika Vadhu, she wrote, “I have some amazing memories with Surekhaji. Apart from being an incredible actress, she was a beautiful human. It was always difficult to match her energy levels during the scenes but she made sure I was comfortable every time I was around her and that taught me to be grounded. I have always wanted to be like her… hardworking, grounded, kind. She has truly left us a legacy to follow. Dadisaa, I will always love you, my guardian angel.”
Sikri’s manager confirmed her death earlier today and shared that she had been unwell for several months, and had suffered a brain stroke in 2020. The actress was most recently seen in Zoya Akhtar's segment of Netflix’s anthology film Ghost Stories (2020).
In her career, Sikri won three National Film Awards. For her role in Ayushmann Khurrana’s Badhaai Ho (2018), she received her final National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. Sikri.
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