The sudden demise of Veteran actress Reema Lagoo is a great loss to the nation and to film industry. Reema became famous for portraying the ‘middle-aged, modern and understanding mother’ to some of the biggest stars in the industry on both big and small screens. Don’t we think Reema’s death is a reminder of the times when women actors had to hide their age and marital status or compromise on their career? She was regarded by film critics as the new-age mother of Hindi cinema. Known for playing mother’s roles in blockbusters such as Maine Pyar Kiya, Aashiqui, Saajan, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Vaastav, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Saath Saath Hain, Reema Lagoo had also done extensive work on television including Shrimaan Shrimati and Tu Tu Main Main. She became synonymous as the affectionate and genial mother. She was one of the classic movie mother and one of the most endearing mothers to grace the big screen. Her roles in the films with Salman as mother recreated their camaraderie with varying degrees of success in a number of hits that followed. Through her different roles of Mother, she spread a message that Mothers are mothers whether they are ancient or modern, although their roles do diverge with the changing times. Her roles revealed that fact that mothers are like birds that keep their young under their wings, protecting and nurturing them always.
Universally, the mother is the shock absorber of all conflicting emotions that arise among family members. The travails of a mother never end. She was an amazing actress with a beautiful smile. Her role in Vaastav, where she played Shanta, mother of protagonist Raghu (Sanjay Dutt), will always be remembered for the strong portrayal of a mother to a wayward son. She had an incredible journey who consistently experimented with roles and yet managed to become one of Bollywood’s most celebrated model – the ever-loving mother.
Her different roles of Mother gave a message to today’s youth that Mothers are always taken for granted and we often fail to recognise their unconditional love and the sacrifices they make for the family. They are the ones who put our needs in front of theirs and are with us through thick and thin. We must ponder over about all the pains our mother took while we were sick, the hardships she went through in bringing us up and all the sacrifices she made so that we can lead a better life.
What she did in each and every film and on TV was all from her heart. She had learnt never to take success or failure too seriously and lived her life happily. For her even failure of a film doesn’t bother her too much. She was a great actor and a greater human being. The motherly aura that she had about her was evident in the characters she lived on the silver screen. She has become a role model and an inspiring personality for every woman. Her quintessential doting and cool mother roles and her smiling face will never fade away from memory and she will be always remembered for her performance.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
