Reema Lagoo

Reema Lagoo, born Nayan Bhadbhade, was basically royalty when it came to Marathi theatre and Hindi cinema. She grew up surrounded by the arts—her mom was already a big deal on the Marathi stage, so you could say acting was in her DNA. Even back in school at Huzurpaga in Pune, people noticed she had something special. By the late '70s, right after high school, she was already lighting up the Marathi stage. Her career really took flight once she jumped into films, both Marathi and Hindi. After marrying actor Vivek Lagoo, she took on the name everyone knows: Reema Lagoo. Together, they had a daughter, Sansui (Sanu), who now lives in Mumbai. If you watched any big Bollywood movie from the late '80s through the 2000s, odds are, Reema Lagoo was in it—usually playing someone’s mom, and absolutely nailing it every time. She was Juhi Chawla’s mom in "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak," Salman Khan’s mom in "Maine Pyar Kiya," and honestly, she just kept showing up in hit after hit—"Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!," "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai," "Kal Ho Naa Ho," the list goes on. But don’t box her in—she did more than just play the sweet, supportive mother. She took on bold roles too, like the tough businesswoman in "Yeh Dillagi," or the complicated, grief-stricken mom in "Vaastav." Reema Lagoo wasn’t just a film star—she made waves on TV and Marathi shows too, even getting honored for her impact on the industry. Sadly, she passed away at just 59, leaving behind a legacy that’s basically unmatched in Indian cinema.