Among the bevy of starlets that graced the big screen in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, Sarika captured the audience’s attention with her radiant beauty and effervescent charm. However, her life is no less filmy than a Bollywood drama.
Sarika’s father abandoned their family when she was very young. At the age of five she became the breadwinner of her family. In the initial part of her career as a child star, she played male roles and was known as Master Sooraj. In a bid to earn for her family, she never received an education.
In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Sarika revealed, “My mother believed that because it was impossible for me to go to school because I was shooting, she should get me a tutor.” Later, she developed her vocabulary by reading extensively.
She essayed both boy and girl roles; however, her most notable role as a child actor was in the 1967 film ‘Hamraaz,’ where she played Nimi’s daughter
Sarika made her debut as a lead actress at the age of 15 in the romantic drama ‘Geet Gaata Chal,’ which co-starred Sachin Pilgaonkar. Produced by Rajshri, the film was based on the story ‘Atithi’ by Rabindranath Tagore. The film went on to become a major box-office success.
At 21, she left everything behind with just Rs 60 in her pocket and a car. In an interview with Simi Garewal, she reflected on the difficulties she faced when she left her mother. "It was very hard—it was not just about where the next meal was going to come from; I just kept up with my friends—went to their house, had baths at their home, and at night, I slept in my car," she said.
Some years later, she met Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan. The two came across each other on the sets of the 1984 film ‘Raaj Tilak,’ and sparks flew. The relationship was kept away from prying eyes, as Haasan was married to Vani Ganapathy at that time.
The couple started living together in 1988. Their first-born daughter, Shruti, told the Times of India that her parents got married when she was five in 1991, after the birth of her younger sister, Akshara. In 2004, they divorced. The very next year, Sarika received a National Award for Best Actress for the film ‘Parzania.’
Reflecting on her parents, Shruti told TOI in 2013, “From a young age I have learned to accept people for what they are, and I have always looked at my parents as individuals and tried to look at life from the other person’s point of view, as I expect other people to do that to me. I didn’t care if they were together or not but just wanted them to be happy…”
On the work front, Sarika was last seen in the adventure drama film ‘Uunchai.’
Add 
as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!
