Raza Murad: I always thought of Reema Lagoo as 'chhoti behen'

(Pics courtesy: Twitter)

Actor Raza Murad says he always thought of veteran movie and theatre actress Reema Lagoo, who died here early on May 18, 2017, following a cardiac arrest, as his younger sister.

Reema breathed her last at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri West, where she was rushed shortly after midnight.

Raza shared a photograph of himself along with Reema and captioned: "My very very dear friend and old collegue, Reema Lagoo has passed away. It is just unthinkable and unbelievable that this graceful lady is no more."

The 66-year-old actor added: "She always addressed me as Raza bhai and I always thought of her as a chhoti behen (younger sister). One of the saddest and shocking news that she has gone forever. May her noble soul rest in eternal peace."

Raza and Reema together have shared screen space in films like 'Sangdil Sanam', 'Hatya', 'Apne Dam Par' and 'Henna'.

Reema became famous for portraying the "middle-aged, modern, but understanding mother" to some of the biggest stars in the industry on both big and small screens.

Lagoo achieved widespread renown for her portrayal of the archetypal doting mother in a number of critically acclaimed films released in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Not only was Reema Lagoo well-known for her work in Bollywood, but she was also well-known for her work in Marathi cinema and theatre.

She was noted for her roles in several blockbusters like 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun', 'Aashiqui', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Hum Saath Saath Hain', 'Maine Pyar Kiya', 'Kal Ho Na Ho', 'Vastaav', 'Saajan, 'Rangeela' and 'Kya Kehna' etc.

After acting as Kokila Kulkarni in the iconic TV sitcom ‘Shriman Shrimati' in the 1990s and as Devaki Verma, starring opposite Supriya Pilgaonkar in ‘Tu Tu Main Main' in the same decade, Reema became a well-known face of the small screen.

For the unversed, Reema Lagoo and Supriya Pilgaonkar's popular TV show, 'Tu Tu Main Main' is all set to make a comeback in the digital space. In an interview to News18, the director of the classic 90s show, Sachin Pilgaonkar revealed that he is planning to bring back the show, but in a whole new avatar.

While speaking about the new season of 'Tu Tu Main Main', Sachin said, "We're planning on bringing the show back. We're already working on it." However, he also revealed that this time, his wife Supriya won't play the role of daughter-in-law in the new season. Talking about the same, Sachin added, "Surpiya won't be the daughter-in-law anymore but the mother-in-law."

--With inputs from IANS