Bollywood’s smiling mom dead

Mumbai, May 18

Actress Reema Lagoo, best known for playing the modern-day Bollywood mother in films such as “Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!” and “Kal Ho Na Ho”, passed away at a hospital here today. She was 59.

Lagoo, who came to represent the antithesis of the mournful white sari-clad mother of Hindi cinema through her roles, died of a cardiac arrest in the early hours of the morning at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.

She was admitted to the hospital late last night after she complained of chest pain. She is survived by her daughter Mrunmayee, who is also a theatre and film actress as well as a theatre director.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered Lagoo as a versatile actor who left a big impact in the film and TV world.

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Born in Mumbai, Lagoo’s acting career spanned almost four decades. She started her career with Marathi theatre. She was just 30 when she came to limelight as Juhi Chawla’s mother in Mansoor Khan’s hit film “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”.

It led to her being typecast as a mother but Lagoo’s subsequent roles marked a distinct departure from the sad mother trope, represented best perhaps by Nirupa Roy, that Hindi viewers were so familiar with.

The prolific actress soon became synonymous as the affectionate and genial mother, sometimes to actors who were just a few years younger than her.

From Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan to Govinda and Madhuri Dixit, Lagoo played mother to all the top actors and actresses of the Hindi film industry.

One of her most successful roles was “Hum Aapke Hai Koun...!”, where she essayed the role of Anupam Kher’s wife and Madhuri Dixit’s mother.

On television, Lagoo was popular for playing spirited characters like Kokila (Koki) in “Shrimaan Shrimati” and Devki Verma in “Tu Tu Main Main”.

Her prominent cinema roles include “Saajan”, “Vaastav”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Hum Saath-Saath Hain”, “Deewana Mastana”, “Yes Boss” and “Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon”.

She was last seen on the television show “Naamkaran”, which aired on Star Plus.

Celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar, Priyanka Chopra, Rishi Kapoor and Mahesh Bhatt expressed their shock.

Bhatt, who wrote “Naamkarann”, said, “When a friend passes away, one is hurled into deep silence. I cannot forget the last goodbye we said to each other where we promised to see each other on the sets of ‘Naamkarann’ soon.

“But that didn’t happen. I am still grappling with the news of her sudden death,” he added. PTI