Surekha Sikri was the actor who taught me that sometimes silence can convey as much, if not more than a dialogue: Nikkhil Arya

While National award-winning actor Surekha Sikri, who passed away yesterday, is best remenbered on TV as Dadisa from

Balika Vadhu

, there are a few other roles that she esayed on the small screen beautifully. One of them was in the show Kesar where she played a rich dadi with poise.

Nikkhil Arya

, who was the lead in the show, recounts the time when the two shot together for almost 4 years. He says the veteran actor not only played her part to perfection, but also impacted others around her. Nikkhil says, "

Surekhaji

was the actor who taught me that sometimes a silent reaction can convey as much, if not more than a dialogue."

He is happy that he had a chance to work with her in his first big project. "Just looking at her expressive face taught you so much. And those eyes! I can never forget them. They could penetrate you with sympathy, jealousy, anger, love.. you name the emotion. I may have done some good karma to have her almost like a guru for 4 years in my first big project Kesar at the age of 22. I always made it a point to shut up and listen to her words of wisdom and just absorb as much as I could," says the versatile actor, who has been part of shows like Tere

Liye

,

Rabba Ishq Na Hove

, Kumkum Bhagya and Chandrakanta among others, over the years.

Talking about Sikri's style of working, Nikkhil says, "She inspired people simply by her work ethic and discipline. She commanded respect through her quiet demeanour."

But, he adds, "While she was off work, she was completely different - a wild, fun-loving freebird and that's how I'd like to remember and celebrate this legend. I will forever be grateful to Surekhaji and pray that wherever she is, she is in a happy space," signs off Nikkhil.