Reema Lagoo – The popular screen mother of Bollywood who broke many stereotypes

Reema Lagoo (1958 – 2017) was a popular character artist of Bollywood who played numerous memorable mother roles on screen since late 1980s. She is most known for playing Salman Khan’s mother in movies directed by Sooraj Barjatya, and has also played the same for other directors too. In fact she is best known as the screen mother of Salman Khan though there is only a small gap between their ages. Breaking all stereotypes she played modern and young mother in a few movies such as Kal Ho Na Ho, Mein Prem Ki Diwani Hoon etc. She played Salman’s mother in Meine Pyar Kiya, Saajan, Pathar Ke Phool, Nischay, Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya, Hum Saat Saat Hain, Judwaa and Madhuri Dixit’s mother in Salman’s all time blockbuster hit, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun.

Reema Lagoo’s real name is Nayan Bhadbhade. As a child artist she has appeared in 5 movies. Her mother was also a Marathi film and stage actress. She was legally separated from her husband Vivek Lagoo, a Marathi actor and had one child in this wedlock. As an adult actress, she started off with Marathi plays and then moved to Mumbai, where she started off with plays in the 1970s. Marathi film Sinhasan in 1979 marked her film debut. Kalyug in 1980 marked her Bollywood debut. In the 1980s at a very young age she started playing mother roles and rose to prominence playing Juhi Chawla’s mother in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. She got stereotyped as a mother on Bollywood screen, yet she brought unique shades to her roles through her acting skills and persona.

As she was young in her early 30s when she started playing mother to lead heroes and heroines on silver screen, she redefined mother of Bollywood who was still then a traditional sari cladded and melodramatic character with grey shades. She appeared young on screen and her screen presence got noticed by her vibrant acting skills and she gave new life to many mother roles. Apart from Salman starrers, her other major works are Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rahta Hai, Kal Ho Na Ho, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Vaastav, Yes Boss, Aashique, Rangeela, Yeh Dillagi, Pyar To Hona Hi Tha etc. She died of a massive heart attack in 2017, when she was fully active in film and television career. Also Read: Top 10 films of Reema Lagoo.

Reema Lagoo – Some interesting facts

1. She played Salman Khan’s mother in 7 movies of which 5 were major hits. She was his first screen mother through the movie, Meine Pyar Kiya, and since then was mostly known as Salman’s screen mother. Read more here.

2. She predominantly worked in Bollywood, yet appeared in a few Marathi movies too.  

3. She has been a part of several iconic TV series of 1990s and later. As a television actress her lead roles in Tu Tu Mein Mein and Sriman Srimati brought her to prominence in the 1990s. Naamkarann was her last show, where she played a negative role.

4. In 2002 she received Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Actress for the movie, Reshamgaath.

5. She is a recipient of four Filmfare nominations in the best supporting actress category, but never managed to win at least once.

6. Age difference between Reema and Mohnish Bahl is only three years. Yet she played Bahl’s mother in Hum Saat Saat Hain. It’s the case of many actors of Bollywood who worked with her. There was only 7 years age gap between Reema and Salman, and same is the case with Shah Rukh Khan too.

7. She played mother to Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in many movies. Yet she never played Aamir Khan’s mother onscreen. Interestingly she played Aamir Khan’s heroines’ mother in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Rangeela, the only two rare occasions when they shared screen space. Thus she became a part of debut movies of both Aamir Khan and Salman Khan in the late 1980s, which worked wonders to the actors, and established both as the ‘new heroes’ of Bollywood, marking a new era.