This Actress Played a Superstar’s Mother Twice — Even Though She’s 8 Years Younger
Many Bollywood actresses began their careers with a variety of roles but eventually won hearts through their portrayal of iconic motherly characters. Legends like Reema Lagoo, Farida Jalal, Himani Shivpuri, and Nirupa Roy famously portrayed the mothers of actors who were either close to their age or even older. But did you know about the actress who played the mother of her own college senior — not once, but twice? Surprisingly, she is eight years younger than the superstar in question.
The actress in question is none other than Sheeba Chaddha, known for her subtle and impactful performances in Badhaai Do (2022), Doctor G (2022), and several other films. She began her cinematic journey in 1998 with a small role in Dil Se.
In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Sheeba Chaddha opened up about her journey in Bollywood. She shared that she had played the on-screen mother of her college senior — none other than Shah Rukh Khan.
Reflecting on her debut film, she said: “I had almost no role in Dil Se. It was so minor that I hardly remember it. But I did get to shoot in Dalhousie and got to see Shah Rukh Khan. Manisha Koirala wasn’t available for some scenes, and one day, as she couldn’t shoot, Mani Ratnam personally asked me to wear Manisha’s costume and act as her body double for a snow sequence.” Though her role in Dil Se was minimal, years later Sheeba appeared alongside Shah Rukh in Raees (2017) and Zero (2018), where she portrayed his mother in both films.
Sheeba revealed that even though Shah Rukh Khan was her senior in college, she never reminded him of their shared academic background. She recalled: “When I was shooting for Raees, Shah Rukh mentioned during an interview in Delhi that there’s an actress playing his mother in the film, and how wonderful she is. We didn’t even share a scene, but that’s the kind of person he is.”
She also fondly recalled his professionalism and respect on the sets of Zero, in which he played a dwarf: “We had a scene where he was getting beaten up and I had to run in and hug him. Before the scene, he came to me and asked, ‘Can I touch you?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ He’s very considerate. He even knew my name before arriving on set. That kind of gesture stays with you.”
Speaking about being typecast in motherly roles, Sheeba said: “Most of the time I’m playing the mother of sons who are barely 10–12 years younger than me. It’s common in television — sometimes a 30-year-old woman is shown as the mother of grown men. Initially, I was shocked, but then I accepted it. I told myself: it’s work. Do it and move forward. If you resist, you’ll end up jobless.
Sheeba Chaddha continues to shine on screen, gracefully navigating typecasting while delivering compelling performances that resonate with audiences across all age groups.
