At the dawn of 18 May 2017, a beautiful soul who emblazoned the warmth and affection of a mother perfectly on screen for several years, breathed her last. Her unfading smile and calm demeanour made her the most sought-after mother figure of Bollywood.
Reema Lagoo was just 30-year-old when she got the opportunity to play mother on the silver screen for the first time. Her unparalleled performance in the Aamir Khan starring film, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, paved way for her in Bollywood. After Nirupa Roy and Rakhee, it was Reema Lagoo who comes into everyone’s mind for a mother’s role in Bollywood.
From essaying mean mother-in-law to being a sacrificing loving mother, Reema Lagoo has handled all the transitions that came her way with utmost finesse. In a quick recap, let us have a look at five iconic characters of Reema Lagoo that she played during her more than three-decade stint in the film and TV industry:
Tu Tu Main Main
Reema Lagoo became a popular television face for her role in iconic 90s sitcom ‘Tu Tu Main Main’. It was saas-bahu saga where she poratryed a very boisterous mother-in-law. Unlike most saas-bahu serials of the day where the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law are always seen plotting against each other, ‘Tu Tu Main Main’ presented the love-hate relationship in a humorous manner.
Maine Pyaar Kiya
Reema Lagoo’s first impactful role as mother was when she played Salman Khan’s mother in ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’. She portrayed a friendly mother to her child who approved of her son’s romantic relationship and supported it all through even when her husband was against this. Back in those days, it was a rare sight in reel as well as real life.
Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
The film was one of the most memorable films of 90s and Reema Lagoo’s character came into limelight through this film. She played the mother to Madhuri Dixit and Renuka Shahane in this grand Indian wedding fiesta of a film. She portrayed the perfect relationship a mother and daughters should have. This was one character where Reema Lagoo made the Indian mother seem so cool whereas in other films, Indian mothers were shown in a very traditional light.
Vaastav
This film featured Reema Lagoo’s most poignant and hard-hitting role ever. She played Sanjay Dutt’s mother where he plays the role of a gangster and she was opposed to his criminal ways. In spite of opposing his malpractices, she didn’t even give up on him. When the son didn’t shun his unlawful ways, she, like a strong-willed mother, shot her son and recreated the scene from “Mother India”.
Kal Ho Na Ho
In this movie, Reema Lagoo plays Shah Rukh Khan’s mother, who is suffering from heart cancer. She displayed a supportive yet emotional mother who found it hard to bear the pain of his terminally ill son. She not only supported him through his illness but also stood like a rock when Shah Rukh was going through a tragic romantic relationship in the film. In such an emotional film, Reema’s character provided solace to the greif-stricken audience.