A look into the bittersweet life of Bollywood's famous mother, Reema Lagoo, who fell in love with Vivek Lagoo at a bank. A look at her marriage, amicable divorce and an unfulfilled wish.
Over the decades, we have seen a series of supremely talented actresses in Hindi cinema. However, when we filter out the actresses who had played 'Mother' on the big screen, there is a series of names. However, one name that needs no introduction is Reema Lagoo, the legendary actress, who was born as Nayan Bhadbhade but changed her name after marriage. From television to films, Reema Lagoo has been a part of many timeless shows and movies. Not just in Hindi cinema, Reema Lagoo also created a name for herself in the Marathi theatre.
Reema Lagoo's most impressive acting performances came in the movies, Sinhasan, Aakrosh, Chatpati, Maine Pyar Kiya, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Aashiqui, Patthar Ke Phool, Shola Aur Shabnam, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Vijaypath, Rangeela, Judwaa, Yes Boss, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and many more. Not everyone is aware of the fact that Reema Lagoo is one of the few actresses in Indian cinema, who accepted early ageism and played mother to actors older than her.
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Out of all the films, Reema Lagoo's work in Vaastav: The Reality is still right up there as one of the greatest acting performances in the history of Indian cinema. The actress played Sanjay Dutt's on-screen mother in the movie. However, it was the film's climax that cemented Reema Lagoo's status as 'Bollywood's finest mother'. The reason behind it is the fact that Reema shot her on-screen son, Sanjay Dutt (Raghu Bhai) in the climax of Vaastav: The Reality.
Everyone is aware of Reema Lagoo's illustrious career, but it is her bittersweet personal life that always remained in the shadows. For the uninitiated, Reema Lagoo was married to Marathi actor and director, Vivek Lagoo. Talking about their first meeting, Reema and Vivek met in a bank. In an old interview, it was Vivek, who revealed that he and Reema fell in love with each other when they were working in a bank. When the actor was asked to reveal how they fell in love, Vivek shared that it was their mutual love for acting and cinema that brought them close.
During their time in the same bank, Reema Lagoo and Vivek Lagoo became friends and fell in love with each other. After dating for some time, Reema and Vivek got married in 1978. At the time of their marriage, Reema was 20 years old, while Vivek was 25. Interestingly, Reema's second film, Sinhasan, was also released the same year she married.
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Another lesser-known thing about Reema Lagoo and Vivek Lagoo's marriage is that they embraced parenthood for the first time, reportedly after 10 years of their wedding. The couple got married in 1978 and welcomed their first child, a baby girl on May 29, 1988. Reema and Vivek's daughter also work in the Indian film industry. However, unlike her parents, who were actors, Mrunmayee Lagoo has predominantly worked in production. From working as an assistant director to scriptwriter and continuity supervisor, Mrunmayee has donned numerous hats so far in her professional career.
After living together for over a decade, Reema Lagoo and Vivek Lagoo separated due to irreconcilable issues. Although they never talked about those differences in public, but once, in an old interview with a news portal, it was Vivek who talked about it. The actor shared that there came a point in their marriage when he and Reema were convinced that they needed to restructure their respective lives. Opening up about their separation and eventual divorce, Vivek said:
"It was an understanding to restructure our lives. The parting was amicable."
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The custody of Reema Lagoo and Vivek Lagoo's daughter, Mrunmayee Lagoo was given to her mother by the court. However, even after their divorce, Reema and Vivek remained in touch and worked together in various plays. Once, in an old interview, Vivek opened up about the 2014 theatre play which he had done with his ex-wife and how it was a shock for all the people in attendance, as they were shocked to see them working together. Sharing his thoughts on their concrete bond after the divorce, Vivek clearly stated that work was always above their personal differences for him and Reema.
On May 18, 2017, Reema Lagoo passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Ambani Hospital at 3:15 a.m. due to a cardiac arrest. It was a massive shock for Reema's family, her daughter and her ex-husband, as she had no medical history of heart ailment. After his ex-wife's demise, Vivek was asked about a second marriage, and the doting ex-husband gave a heartwarming answer that won everyone's hearts. He said:
"There's a similarity between Gulzar, Basu Bhattacharya and myself: No more, just once. And after our marriage is over, we stay alone."
In the same interview, Vivek Lagoo also talked about his late wife, Reema Lagoo's unfulfilled wish. The actor shared that she wanted to do a one-woman show and told him and their daughter, Mrunmayee Lagoo to find or write a script for her. The father-daughter duo worked together, and Vivek even took a script to Vijaaya Mehta for further steps, who also liked it. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for the actress as Reema passed away before they could start working on the particular script. Opening up about the same, he said:
"Reema wanted to do a one-woman show and my daughter Mrunmayee and I started searching for a script in this regard. Reema wanted me to write it and I even locked on a particular script and went to Vijaya Mehta, my guru, who agreed to help us. Lekin woh show bana nahi, bas reh gaya.”
The iconic actress passed away at the age of 58 but is still considered as one of the finest actresses of her era. Well, what are your thoughts on Reema Lagoo's bittersweet personal life? Let us know.
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