MUMBAI: The world is mourning the death of Dame Maggie Smith the beloved Harry Potter and Oscar-winning actress, who died on Friday at the age of 89.
Bollywood actors, including Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Ananya Panday, and others, took to social media to pay heartfelt tributes to the legendary actress.
Priyanka Chopra shared a video of Dame Maggie Smith on her Instagram story, writing, “The end of an era. Rest in peace, Dame Maggie Smith.”
Kareena Kapoor posted a picture of the late actress with the caption “Forever in Power,” adding a star and heart emoji.
She also quoted one of Smith’s memorable lines from Downton Abbey: “I am a woman dear. I can be as contrary as I choose.”
Ananya Panday honored the actress with a special tribute on her Instagram story, joining many others in remembering the extraordinary career and life of the celebrated star.
Throughout her career, Smith played a variety of memorable roles in films. She was part of the ensemble cast in Murder by Death (1976), starred as the strict yet humorous Mother Superior in Sister Act (1992), and appeared in Hook (1991) alongside Robin Williams as Granny Wendy. Later in her career, she played a cantankerous retiree in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), delighting audiences with her wit and charm.
Her television work was also impressive. In addition to her Emmy-winning role in Downton Abbey, Smith starred in My House in Umbria, which also earned her an Emmy Award. She was nominated for other television roles, including as Mrs. Venable in Suddenly Last Summer and as Betsey Trotwood in the BBC miniseries David Copperfield, where she worked alongside a young Daniel Radcliffe before he was cast as Harry Potter.
Maggie Smith’s personal life was marked by her long-lasting marriage to playwright Beverley Cross, whom she married in 1975 and stayed with until his death in 1998. Before that, she was married to actor Robert Stephens, with whom she had two sons, both of whom followed in her footsteps and became actors themselves. Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens have enjoyed successful careers in film and television, carrying on their mother’s legacy in the acting world. (ANI)