Veteran Bollywood actor Shashikala died on Sunday, PTI reported, quoting BN Tiwari, President of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees. However, Tiwari could not confirm the reason for her demise. Shashikala was 88.

Born on August 4, 1932 in Maharashtra’s Solapur, Shashikala has acted in more than 100 films and a number of television shows.

She made her first big screen appearance in the 1945 movie Zeenat, directed by legendary actor Noor Jehan’s husband Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, PTI reported. She played a prominent role in V Shantaram-directed Teen Batti Char Raasta in 1953.

However, her breakthrough came in the form of Bimal Roy’s 1959 film Sujata, one of the early movies in Hindi cinema that explored casteism. Shashikala’s role in the 1962 movie Aarti proved to be a stepping stone for her in playing negative roles in several movies, PTI reported.

Later in her career, she featured in many hit movies like “Arjun” (1985), Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1988), Baadshah (1999), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Jhankaar Beats (2003), and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004).

She also played important roles in TV serials Apnaapan, Dil Deke Dekho, and Son Pari. In 2007, she was awarded the country’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.

Several politicians and people from the film industry paid tributes to Shashikala on Sunday evening.