Sanjeeda Shaikh recalls the moment when she got to know about her co-star, Sidharth Shukla's death. She called it a personal loss.
Late actor, Sidharth Shukla’s shocking demise back in 2021 was a news that left everyone broken. The actor, who was known for his handsome looks, chiselled physique, humble personality and terrific acting prowess, bid the world adieu after suffering from a fatal heart attack, at the age of 40. The news was totally unexpected, and it left millions of his friends and fans completely heartbroken. It has been three years since Sidharth left an irreplaceable void in Tinseltown, and recently, one of his popular co-stars, recalled cherished memories with him.
In a recent interaction with Sidharth Kannan, Sanjeeda Shaikh recalled one of the tragic moments in her life, after she learnt about the demise of her good friend and co-actor, Sidharth Shukla, back on September 2, 2021. For the unversed, the two of them had worked together in the hit show, Jaane Pehchaane Se… Ye Ajnabbi, and had struck a great equation. Remembering that fatal day, Sanjeeda mentioned how she was busy shooting a Punjabi comedy film, when she learnt about Sidharth’s demise. While she was left completely shocked by the same, ironically, she was forced to do a comedy scene right after learning that news, since she was in the middle of the shooting. Narrating the complex of feelings she felt that day, Sanjeeda said:
“I worked with Sidharth Shukla for a year and when he passed away it felt like a personal loss. We were good friends and we had a good understanding. I remember I was shooting in Amritsar for my Punjabi film and I got a call from my friend, who informed me that he was no more. It took a little time for me to accept that but I also understood my strength at that time. I understood that an actor has to forget everything when they are performing. Imagine on the day that your friend passed away you are supposed to shoot a sequence that requires you to be funny. It’s tough, maybe you cry after packing up, but that felt terrible.”
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Talking more along the same lines, Sanjeeda then opened up about the last conversation which she had with Sidharth Shukla. She remarked how they chatted three months before he passed away, and recalled how the late actor assured her that he will take up some mega project soon enough. Sanjeeda mentioned how back then, Siddharth’s optimism reflected the kind of confident person that he was. In her words:
“I had this conversation with him just three months before he passed away when Covid was going on. He had told me, ‘Sanju, main kuch karuga. Bigg Boss gave him so much love and acceptance from the audience that he was a confident person. He sounded like a refined version of himself compared to the time we had worked together years ago. It felt so beautiful, he deserved the love and appreciation that he received at that time. Kudos to aunty (Sidharth’s mom) for taking this also in a positive way.”
In the concluding segment of the interview, Sanjeeda revealed an unheard trait about Sidharth Shukla and remarked how he always preferred to be a part of reality TV shows over just daily soaps and serials. Elaborating on the reason behind the late actor’s interesting choice, Sanjeeda elucidated that Sidharth received a lot of love for the real person that he was, more than the fictional characters that he played on screen. She said:
“Sidharth was waiting for an opportunity when we were working on the TV show. He was waiting to be a part of a reality show. He was accepted by the audience as the person Sidharth Shukla more than the characters he has played and he knew that.”
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Coming back to the diva herself, Sanjeeda Shaikh made her leap of faith from television to the silver screen with her back-to-back mega-scale performances in films like Fighter and Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Talking about her personal life, Sanjeeda is a happy single parent to her daughter, Ayra Ali, whom she welcomed with her ex-husband, Aamir Ali.
What do you think about Sanjeeda Shaikh’s revelations?
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