Big B remembers 'gentle, caring' on-screen mother Sulochana

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday said the Indian film industry lost "another great" in the death of noted actor Sulochana Latkar, his colleague of several films.

Known for her innumerable mother roles in Hindi and Marathi cinema, Sulochana died on Sunday due to prolonged illness at a hospital here. She was 94.

Bachchan, who had played Sulochana's on-screen son in the 1974 film Majboor, 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 said he was in touch with Sulochana's family regarding her health.

"I had been monitoring her 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.

A well-known Marathi and Hindi cinema actor, Sulochana started her career in the 1940s and featured in over 250 films.

She largely played the on-screen mother in the Bollywood films of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, almost invariably dressed in a white saree. Besides Bachchan, she worked with all the lead stars of the era, including Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, and Dilip Kumar.

Cinema personalities such as Madhuri Dixit Nene and Jackie Shroff also condoled the veteran actor's demise.

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 1984's Andar Baahar, shared his photograph 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.

Sulochana received Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, in 1999. The actor is survived by her daughter Kanchan Shaneka.

She will be cremated with state honours today.