Naaka Bandi: Mahurat to Last shift

The cast and crew of Naaka Bandi. 

The first mahurat shot where you can see Sridevi, Chunky Panday, Sonam and a... surprise appearance from Boney Kapoor! 

Below, ? Dharmendra, Sridevi, Chunky Panday and ?

36 years of Naaka Bandi: Dharmendra and Sridevi's... hit?!

Released on 4 May 1990, Naaka Bandi was completely written off by film critics, had just dreadful reviews, cannot think of a single person who loved this movie, a film so bad, Sridevi had sniffed that the movie would be painful to watch and she didn't even bother to turn up to the premiere citing "date problems" ie, she was away on location for a film shoot - which could have been plausible as she was at the peak of her sizzling career. 

And yet, the movie was a hit. Well, it recovered its exorbitant costs. Box-office powered by the star wattage of the leads, the movie recuperated its production costs.  

Though they appeared in a few films together, this was the only movie Dharmendra and Sridevi were paired together - and yes, the age gap was noteworthy - Dharmji was 28 years her senior. In fact, Sridevi appeared in films with Sunny Deol, Dharmendra's eldest son, more often than Deol Snr! 

It's the only film which included Sonam and Sridevi - Sonam was and remains a Sridevi superfan. It's also the only film Chunky Panday appeared in with Sridevi - and he was famously not a Sridevi fan; he preferred Rekha and Jaya Prada and mentioned as much in print back in the day. Oh well, not all can be born with taste. 

Rare pic: Dharmendra with Sridevi at the Ghayal success party

The Fake pic: The Real Pic: Sridevi, Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna get modified: FOR NO SANE REASON!

Another example of trickery; the left pic is the fake one, the above, the real. 

Why bother creating such elaborate ai pics - I recognise that it only takes seconds - but why, WHY make fake images? 

Dharmendra with Sridevi over the years: Happy 90th Birth Anniversary Dharmji

 Dharmendra with Sridevi over the years: Happy 90th Birth Anniversary Dharmji! 

 Dharmendra passed away just two weeks ago - and Bollywood is still reeling with that news. Truly one of the greats. Remembering him fondly today - what an actor he was. True legend. 

Sridevi in Bollywood: Standing out in a crowd: Sridevi with Yash Chopra, Rekha, Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Raaj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor...

Sridevi in Bollywood: Standing out in a crowd: Sridevi with Yash Chopra, Rekha, Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Raaj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor...

Sridevi with Dharmendra in Naaka Bandi

 

Sridevi with the Deols: Dharmendra and Sunny Deol

Sridevi with the Deols: Dharmendra and Sunny Deol. 

Co-star of Naaka Bandi Dharmendra, co-star of six films (including Ram Avtar pictured), Sunny Deol. 

As a prodigious actress, Sridevi has worked with several fathers and sons. We really need to work on that unusual list... 

 

Farishtay: A Film by Anil Sharma

A shockingly awful movie but... it more than recovered its costs! Who knew?! Well, the all-star cast helped the movie recover quickly from the interiors. 

Anil Sharma's films run the gamut. Either horrendous films that are flops, or they are entertaining films that are record breaking blockbusters... 

Well, at least he gave Sridevi a above-average-hit. 

 

Sridevi, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna in Farishtay (1991)

Sridevi, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna in Farishtay (1991). 

Launched in 1988, released in 1991, this Anil Sharma (of Gaddar fame!) directed all-star cast film was a huge flop, critically mocked and a disaster on all accounts. Released 33 years ago today, the massive star cast (including Jaya Prada and Rajinikanth among a host of others), was a no-go from the get-go with more behind the scenes antics than on camera. The producer slapped the director, stars came and left the film during production, names and faces kept changing... was the peak of pre-corporatisation and disorganisation of the madcap 80s that spilled into the 90s! 

You know its bad when half the cast didn't show up for the premiere. 

This is one of those films that would test the patience of Sridevi's biggest fans. Unbearable.  

6 Films with Sridevi and Dharmendra: The listicle!

1. Jaani Dost (1983)

2. Sultanat (1986)

3. Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987)

4. Sone Pe Suhaaga (1988)

5. Naaka Bandi (1990)

6. Farishtay (1991)

Though they were paired together only in Naaka Bandi (Jeetendra was her love interest in Jaani Dost and Sone Pe Suhaaga, Dharmendra's son Sunny Deol was Sridevi's leading man in Sultanat, Mithun in Watan ke Rakhwale and Vinod Khanna in Farishtay), Sridevi and Dharmendra had a long association in films from Sridevi's blockbuster year in 1983 onwards. 

Sridevi was a great fan of erstwhile Number one star Hema Malini and she launched Dharmendra and Hema's daughter Eesha Deol in one of her home productions -- their family friendship remained till the end.

Dharmendra said of Sridevi that stars live in the hearts of fans forever, they never really go away. At the trailer launch of Yamla Pagla Deewana, he stated, "I worked with her in Naaka Bandi and she was a nice person, a great artist. It's sad she left so soon and couldn't be with her daughters."

Today the charming and gifted actor turns 88. We wish the Indian actor and cine-legend many more birthdays. 

Update: Suddenly this post has the maximum views this month- we understand why of course. Rest in peace Dharamji. Last of the greats. The most versatile and underrated box-office superstar of ALL time. His fluency in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi needs to be noted. He was a poet, a deep thinker, and a surprisingly great writer - if you only knew. RIP. 

Dharmendra, Sridevi and Chunky Pandey on the sets of Naaka Bandi (1990)

Dharmendra, Sridevi and Chunky Pandey on the sets of Naaka Bandi (1990). With the cast and crew of the film. 

Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Asrani and Sridevi in Sone Pe Suhaaga (1988): Icons Only

 

Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Asrani and Sridevi in Sone Pe Suhaaga (1988): 

Icons Only 

Rare photo: Dharmendra, Sridevi and Jeetendra on the set of Jaani Dost (1983)

Rare photo: Dharmendra, Sridevi and Jeetendra on the set of Jaani Dost (1983)

More pics in the archive here.

Sridevi tries to seduce Dharmendra in Naaka Bandi

Sridevi, 27, tries to seduce Dharmendra, 55, in Naaka Bandi (1990)! 

Dharmendra and Sridevi in Naaka Bandi (1990)

 

Rare pics: Dharemndra with Sridevi from the film Naaka Bandi

Launched in 1988, but released in 1990, the much delayed film had a huge star cast and hype... but ultimately failed at the box-office.

 

Jaani Dost and Adavi Simhalu in 1983: Sridevi shoots the same film in Telugu and Hindi simultaneously

Jaani Dost (Best Friends) was released in 1983, produced by C. Ashwini Dutt, M. Arjuna Raju, directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. 

It stars Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Parveen Babi, Sridevi, with music composed by Bappi Lahiri. 

The film was simultaneously made along with the Telugu-language movie Adavi Simhalu, with Krishna, Krishnam Raju, Sridevi and Jaya Prada in pivotal roles. 

Sridevi appeared in both films - Jaya Prada in only the Telugu version (amidst some controversy as Parveen Babi did her role in the Hindi version). 

Both the movies were made simultaneously by the same producer and director, some of the scenes and actors are identical in both the versions. The grand finale song was shot simultaneously, hence this star-studded tree; seven superstars of South Indian and Hindi film industry with Sridevi standing front and centre.

The Telugu version hit the theatres first on April 28th, and the Hindi was released a month later on 27th May 1983. Oddly enough, Adavi Simhalu was a smash while Jaani Dost just barely broke even. 

Left: Sridevi on the sets of the Telugu film Adavi Simhalu back in 1983. 

Happy Birthday Dharmendra! Sridevi with Dharmendra on set

Born on December 8, 1935, Indian actor and legend Dharmendra turned 85. Sridevi acted with Dharamji in several films, but only in Naaka Bandi as his co-star (despite their vast age gap of 28 years!). 

Dharamji has spoken well of Sridevi several times and what sticks out in memory, "Stars who live in the hearts of their fans, never go away." 

True dat! 

Happy Birthday Dharamji!  Wishing you good health and happiness. 

Below: Sridevi flanked by the Deosl; Dharmendra and Sunny

32 years of Sone Pe Suhaga: Bollywood all-star lineup in the 1980s: Sridevi, Poonam Dhilloon, Kimi Katkar, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Anil Kapoor

32 years ago, on 26 August 1988, Sone Pe Suhaga was released. One of the few multi-starrers Sridevi was in with Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Anil Kapoor, Poonam Dhillon and Kimi Katkar. 

Upon re-watch.... it is not a great movie, but it was the sixth biggest hit of 1988! 

Notably, it was the last time Jeetendra and Sridevi did a film together, ending a 16-film run that had more major hits than flops.

Sone Pe Suhaaga was most notable for being a major multi-starrer directed by K. Bapaiah and had music by Bappi Lahiri. Pictured here are Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Anil Kapoor, Poonam Dhillon, Sridevi and Kimi Katkar in the mahurat shot - which also, oddly enough, happened to be the last scene in the film! Getting all six stars together was a feat so as much as possible was shot within that one day! 

click to enlarge