Actor Sulochana passes away: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan pen condolences

Veteran actor Sulochana Latkar passed away on Sunday evening due to age-related ailments. She was 94. Condolences poured in for the actor from the industry and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to give her a heartfelt tribute.

Stating that her passing has left a “big void” in Indian cinema, the Prime Minister wrote, “Her unforgettable performances have enriched our culture and have endeared her to people across generations. Her cinematic legacy will live on through her works. Condolences to her family. Om Shanti.”

Amitabh Bachchan described the late actor as a “gentle, generous, caring mother” of screen. Bachchan worked with her in Muqadddar Ka Sikander, Majboor and Reshma Aur Shera. He also revealed that he was in constant touch with her family to monitor her health as she wasn’t keeping well for some time.

“We have lost another great of our Cinema World – Sulochana ji .. the gentle, generous, caring Mother that played in several films with me .. she had been ailing for some time .. and this afternoon she left for her heavenly abode .. I had been monitoring here condition with her family .. but finally the sad news ! We can only pray in such unforgiving circumstances,” he wrote in his blog.

His son, actor Abhishek Bachchan, also condoled Sulochana’s demise on Twitter. “Sulochana ji will be remembered as an iconic actress, whose exceptional skills and elegance have made an everlasting impact in the world of Indian cinema. Om Shanti.”

Actor Madhuri Dixit Nene also posted on the microblogging website to remember Sulochana and said that her favourite film of hers was the 1959 Marathi drama Sangate Aika. “Sulochana Tai was one of the most loved and graceful actresses cinema has seen. My favourite film of hers will always be Sangate Aika. Her performance in every film was memorable. I will miss our conversations may you rest in peace. Your contribution to Indian cinema will always be remembered,” she wrote.

Riteish Deshmukh took to Twitter and shared a picture of Sulochana, writing that the actor “ruled the hearts” of Hindi and Marathi audiences. “The news of the death of Sulochana Didi is very sad. A heartfelt tribute to this great actress who ruled the hearts of audiences in Marathi and Hindi cinema,” he posted in Marathi.

Director Madhur Bhandarkar also posted a picture of him with the late actor and said that Sulochana “beautifully personified the role of a mother in cinema for over four decades.” “It's a somber moment as we bid farewell to the legendary actress Sulochana Tai…Her invaluable contributions to #IndianCinema will always be remembered,” he wrote.

Sulochana made her debut with the Marathi film Sasurvas in 1946. The other Marathi films she worked in were Vahinichya Bangdya (1953) and Sangtye Aika (1959) among others. When she moved to Hindi cinema, she played several mother roles in movies like Shammi Kapoor’s Dil Deke Dekho (1959), Dilip Kumar’s Aadmi (1968) and Dev Anand’s Jhonny Mera Naam (1970) among others.

Other credits of the actor include Kora Kagaz (1974), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)–in which she played Vinod Khanna’s mother–, Himmatwala (1983) and Andar Baahar (1984), in which she played Jackie Shroff’s mother.

The actor was a recipient of the civilian honour of Padma Shri (1999). She was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In 2009, she was awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan Award by the Government of Maharashtra.