"We Have Lost Another Great Star Of Our Cinema World - Sulochana ji," Amitabh Bachchan
On Monday, megastar Amitabh Bachchan said the passing of renowned actor and his coworker from multiple films Sulochana Latkar was “another big” loss for the Indian cinema industry.
Sulochana, who was well-known for playing countless mothers in Hindi and Marathi films, passed away on Sunday at a local hospital after a protracted illness. She was 94 years old.
Sulochana’s on-screen son in the 1974 movie “Majboor,” Bachchan, paid tribute to the actor on his personal blog.
“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 ..” he wrote.
The screen icon stated that he was in contact with Sulochana’s relatives about her health.
“I had been monitoring here condition with her family .. but finally the sad news! We can only pray in such unforgiving circumstances… I am hesitant to write anymore ..” he added.
Bachchan and Sulochana also starred in films such as “Reshma Aur Shera”, “Roti Kapada Aur Makan”, “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar”, and “Dostana.
Sulochana, a well-known Marathi and Hindi film performer, began her career in the 1940s and has appeared in over 250 films.
She was nearly always dressed in a white saree and played on-screen mother in Bollywood films from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Aside from Bachchan, she collaborated with all of the era’s leading actors, including Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, and Dilip Kumar.
Madhuri Dixit Nene and Jackie Shroff both expressed their condolences on the renowned actor’s death.
Dixit Nene remembered Sulochana as “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 on Twitter.
Shroff, who played the actor’s on-screen son in “Andar Baahar” in 1984, posted a photo of himself with Sulochana with a broken heart emoticon.
“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,” Abhishek Bachchan wrote on Twitter.
In 1999, Sulochana was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour. Kanchan Ghanekar, the actor’s daughter, survives her.
On Monday, she will be cremated with full state honours.