‘Wish I get more work’: Ayushmann Khurrana recalls last memory of Surekha Sikri

Mumbai: Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana on Friday evening recalled his experience of working with veteran actress Surekha Sikri, who passed away earlier in the day at the age of 75.

Ayushmann shared in a social media post that after a screening of their 2018 film “Badhaai Ho”, veteran actress Sikri left him and his wife Tahira speechless when she told them she was looking for more work, even at her age.

“In every film we have a family and we end up spending more time with the film family than our own families. One such beautiful family was in Badhaai Ho. Out of all my films, it was the perfect family with a perfect cast. Surekha Sikri was the head of our family, who was more progressive than the entire family tree. You know what, that was her in real life too. A complete boho. A chiller. Young at heart,” Ayushmann wrote in an Instagram post.

“I remember when she was boarding an auto rickshaw after the screening of our film, Tahira and I gave her a lift back home and we said ‘ma’am you are the real star of our film’ and she replied ‘wish I get more work.’ Tahira and I were speechless. We watched her frail demeanour walking towards her building. That’s my last memory of her,” he recalled.

“I would request you to watch her recite Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s nazm ‘Mujh-se pehli si mohabbat mere mehboob na maang.’ Aapko unse aur mohabbat ho jaayegi,” he suggested.

“An impeccable performer. A consummate artiste. A legend. You’ll be missed Surekha ma’am. Thank you for the beautiful memories. #RIPSurekhaSikri,” the actor concluded.

Ayushmann also shared photographs from the sets of “Badhaai Ho” featuring him with his on-screen grandmother Sikri, who had won a National Award for her performance in the film.