Ishqbaaaz Co-stars Nakuul Mehta, Surbhi Chandna Mourn The Demise Of 'Dadi' Navnindra Behl, Pen Emotional Notes For Veteran Actress

Popular television and film actress Navnindra Behl breathed her last at 76. Her son, filmmaker Kanu Behl, confirmed the veteran actress's demise in a moving social media note. The actress played the role of ‘dadi’ in the popular television serial, Ishqbaaz. Lead actors of the show, Nakuul Mehta and Surbhi Chandna, took to their social media to fondly remember the time they spent with Behl on the set of the show.

Nakuul Mehta and Surbhi Chandna pay moving tributes to Navnindra Behl

On March 17, a day after Navnindra Behl's son confirmed her demise, Nakuul took to his Instagram account to share several photos with the late actress from their show Ishwbaaz. He shared candid shots with the actress as well as with other cast members from the show. He wrote in the caption, "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."

In the long note reminiscing about the time spent with Behl, Nakuul added, “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.”

In his note, he referred to Behl as the ‘lightest co-actor’ he has ever worked with and continued, “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 also recalled celebrating her 75th birthday with her in October 2024. He ended the note by writing, “I doubt I ever called her Maam! None of us did. It was always Dadi. We will miss you, Dadi.”

Surbhi rehsared the post on her Instagram story and wrote, "Miss you, Dadi. My first show as a lead and i consider myself lucky we were makeup room partners, I have practically lived the most precious time of my life with you, just the right influence at the start of my career what better could i ask for our lunches together, our conversations about about life. You fondly talking about your love story with lalit sir, I was your executive producer at most occasions and we would joke about it. Zindagi ko woh pal apne hum sab ke bohot khoobsurat bana dive dadi. Om shanti."

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The verteran actress was part of the 1996 film Maachis, directed by Gulzar. She also acted in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, directed by Dibakar Banerjee. She was also seen in the popular film Queen, which starred Kangana Ranaut.

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