Rita Bhaduri passes away at 62, her co-actors remember her fondly

A veteran in films and television, actress Rita Bhaduri passed away on Tuesday morning. Last seen on the TV show, '

Nimki Mukhiya

', as the heroine’s grandmother, she is remembered by her co-actors as a positive force on the set and someone who inspired them to work hard. Bhumika Gurung, who plays the protagonist on the show 'Nimki Mukhiya', recalls, “Since she played a grandmother on the set, all of us started calling her daadi in real life, too. She was like family to us. I recall she would constantly fuss over about my sleeping habits.”

Bhaduri was on a dialysis since a while, yet she reported on the set until her last moment. “We all knew that she was unwell, but she never let it reflect in her performance. When I last spoke to her, I told her that I wanted to visit her, but she insisted that I focus on my shoot. She said, ‘I will meet you on the set and we will shoot together’,” she adds.

Veteran actor Arun Bali, who worked with Rita for seven years on the show, 'Kumkum', recalls her as someone who was a joy to work with. He says, “Ritaji was a person of the highest calibre. She was such an innocent human being. We worked together and she was such a terrific performer.” Bali also recalls that Rita had hit a rough patch in her life and was helped by CINTAA (Cine & TV Artists Association), however, as soon as she bounced back, she refused to take any further help from the body. In tears, he recalls, “She never accepted any unnecessary obligations from anyone. The world has lost a terrific human being today.”

Actor Sooraj Thapar, who worked with her on '

Ekk Nayi Pehchaan

', says, “She was a one-take artiste. She was very strong and even at her age, she was driven to perform. Besides being a great co-actor, I remember the tasty meals she would cook for all of us and bring it on set. And not just one dabba; she would cook an entire pot-full of food and share it with everyone. It is indeed a sad day for the movie and TV industry.”