Perhaps the most celebrated mother of the Indian cinema, actress Reema Lagoo passed away at 3 a.m. on Thursday.
While talking about the same to media, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said that she was not only an excellent actor, but also a greater human being.
Bhatt noted, "When a friend dies suddenly, you are hurled into deep silence. She was an extraordinary actor, but even a greater human being. My association with her started way back at the time of 'Aashuqui' in 90s. It grew stronger and stronger over the years and she was doing my show 'Naamkaran'. She was the heart beat of the show. Last time when i said goodbye to her, i promised to meet her on the sets of the show. And it is so tragic that we had to meet her, when she is no more."
On this note, the late actress was working in the show 'Naamkaran,' which is a small screen adaptation of Mahesh Bhatt's movie 'Zakhm'.
Bhatt also shared the moment when he sent a message to the actress in which an airplane crash survivor says, "we should reach our loved ones today and not tomorrow," to which, she replied that this message was much needed at the moment.
"It was so ironic that those were the last exchanges between us," he added.
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Veteran actor Raza Murad feels that Reema Lagoo beautifully portrayed the role of a traditional Indian mother on the screen.
"When it comes to see that how a mother should be, the first face you'll see was of Reema ji. She used to call me brother and i always took her as my younger sister. She used to call me on Eid every year and last year she gifted me a beautiful table lamp on the occasion of Eid. The impression she has left is monumental itself. I am so shocked that she left us so early. She was beautiful from outside as well as from the inside," he shared.
With many celebrities coming at the actress' residence actor Aamir Khan with his wife Kiran Rao, also came to offer condolences.
The last rights will be performed at 2 pm at Oshiwara Crematorium, in Mumbai.
The actress, born on February 3 in 1958, took her last breath in Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital, in the wee hours of Thursday, following a cardiac arrest.
She appeared in Marathi, Hindi films and television shows, serving the industry for nearly four decades.
Her most popular movies include 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,' 'Yeh Dillagi,' 'Maine Pyaar Kiya,' and 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' among others.