Bollywood well-known actor Gajraj Rao, who worked with the late Surekha Sikri in 2018’s Badhaai Ho, has condoled her death. Surekha Sikri died on Friday, after suffering a cardiac arrest. Actor Gajraj Rao in a note posted on Instagram, Gajraj Rao applauded Surekha’s dedication to her craft and her childlike spontaneity.

Recently he has shared her picture and he wrote, “Making a film is like traveling in a train, where the journey is a destination in itself. You meet all kinds of co-passengers here. Some open up their tiffins and hearts to you, while some guard their luggage and eye you with suspicion. Badhaai Ho will always be that special train journey that brought me to a new station in life, and I’m truly thankful that we had someone like Surekha ji as the emotional anchor of this ship.   

She was the youngest at heart on the sets and had no airs about her stature or endless experience as an actress. Her craft was defined by her years of homework and ‘riyaz as an actress, combined with child-like enthusiasm.”
He said, “As all journeys must end eventually, we bid goodbye to Surekha ji today. Thank you, Surekha ji, for all the wisdom and memories you have left us with. #rip #surekhasikri #badhaaiho @iamitrsharma.”

Their co-star Neena Gupta also remembered Surekha fondly. She said in a video message, “It’s said grief is lessened if shared. Today morning I received the sad news of the death of Surekha Sikriji. I thought of sharing my pain with you. When we were students in (National) School of Drama she was in the repertory company and they used to play parts. Without her knowledge, we would sneak in to have a peek at her acting and I would think ‘I want to become an actress like this’, which is many many years ago. Then we worked together in Badhaai Ho and before that in Saloni. Irrespective of that, I used to look up to her when she did her scenes. I learned a lot from her and there was still so much more to learn from her.”   

Various members of the film industry, and her former colleagues, paid tribute to Surekha Sikri, a three-time National Award-winning actor who was a household name thanks to her performance in the primetime soap opera Balika Vadhu.

About Gajraj Rao:
Gajraj Rao is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi films. He is known most for his award-winning performance in Badhaai Ho. He debuted in 1994 with a minor role in Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen and has since worked in many films and web series.

Gajraj Rao is known for his leading role in Badhaai Ho and supporting roles in movies like Talvar, Blackmail, and web series like TVF’S F.A.T.H.E.R.S. and Tech Conversations with Dad. He also directed several ad films with Code Red Films.