Mumbai, March 17 (AHN) Television actors Nakuul Mehta and Shrenu Parikh remembered veteran actress Navnindra Behl, fondly known for her role as “Dadi” in the show Ishaqbaaz, after she passed away at the age of 76, on March 16.

Shrenu Parikh took to her social media account and shared a picture of the late actress along with an emotional note remembering her.

Her message read,

“Daadi… hum jawano ko peeche rakh de waisi thi hamari daadi! Twas such a privilege to work with you! Rest well dear daadi!”

Meanwhile, Nakuul Mehta shared a series of pictures remembering the beautiful time he got to spend with her while working together on the television show Ishqbaaaz.

In the pictures, the actor is seen sharing warm moments with the veteran star, and also included candid pictures from the sets and personal photographs that highlight their affectionate bond.

He wrote, “The beauty of long running television shows is that they sometimes give you the opportunity to spend time with people who may have existed in worlds very different from yours until then…and then, almost magically, they end up shaping a significant part of who you were during those years. And long after the experience ends, some of what they stood for continues to find a home within you.”

He further wrote, “We spent so many days sharing a set floor and many lunches over the three years we worked together on Ishqbaaaz. I’d often complain about the boring sabzis (read: lauki, karela) she’d bring, and she would continue to insist that we try her food. She didn’t give up. I never gave in.”

My earliest memory of her was filming my very first scene with her on Ishqbaaaz at around midnight in Turbhe. A solemn moment between the matriarch and her grandson. There was something about her presence that made you feel so present in every scene.”

“She liked rehearsals. So did I. It was a match written in the stars. I say so because in television, rarely do you have the discipline and mostly the time… for multiple rehearsals.”

He added, “She came from the rich tradition of Punjabi theatre. She wrote, directed and produced in her time, but never for once brought that heft onto set. She had more years in the business than the entire ensemble put together, but may have been the lightest co-actor to work with. Only sometimes complaining about the crazy schedules of television. Okay, often.”

Nakuul further wrote, “I’d quite often drop her back home if we packed up at the same time, and those drives are some of my fondest memories of her. She’d be excited about writing back to every audience member who messaged her on Instagram (she embraced technology). She was thrilled about collaborating with Vishal Bhardwaj. She spoke so fondly of her husband and their love story, and mostly of her son, @kanubehl, and the wonderful filmmaker she believed he was.”

He mentioned that he was lucky to have attended her 75th birthday a few years ago. “We kept in touch over the years much after the show ended, and @jank_ee and I had the good fortune of celebrating her on her 75th birthday in October 2024. I doubt I ever called her Maam! None of us did. It was always Dadi. We will miss you, Dadi.”

Talking about Navnindra Behl, the veteran actress built a respected career across theatre, television and cinema over the years.

She was widely loved for her role as the warm and strong matriarch in Ishqbaaaz, and also appeared in films such as Queen.

Her son, filmmaker Kanu Behl, confirmed the news and shared a heartfelt tribute to his mother on social media on Monday evening. L

Remembering her with an emotional note, he wrote, “My Titan. My faith. Love. Guide. Mentor. My heart. Go well, mumma. Until you birth me again, my eyes shall always seek that irrepressible smile, that warm chuckle, that bear hug, those burning, curious eyes. Forever alight. Thank you for lighting my soul.”

–AHN

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