Sridevi, Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon

 

Sridevi, Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon 

A magazine spread from 1984! 

These were the leading young ladies of Bollywood... 

Poonam Dhillon, "The media would call Sridevi dumb...but she was brilliant!" Trending Video clip on Social Media

Cine Blitz scan from the 1980s

Poonam Dhillon, "The media would call Sridevi dumb...but she was brilliant!" Trending Video clip on Social Media!

Right: Cine Blitz, G magazine, Stardust are all guilty of calling Sridevi terms there were grossly unkind. She wasn't the most eloquent English speaker (a theme that came up rather beautifully in her film in 2012!), but she was trilingual - how many of the editors and writers were? Sridevi's legacy is enshrined - where are all these critics? They lived lives of quiet desperation and achieved nothing compared to the stature of the great Sridevi. 

Throwback thursday: Poonam Dhillon launches The Vanity Van with Bollywood stars Sridevi, Anil Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure

Throwback thursday: Poonam Dhillon launches The Vanity Van with Bollywood stars Sridevi, Anil Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure!

Anil Kapoor and Sridevi were shooting Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja at the time - hence Anil's hat (!) and Sridevi's 90s perm... 

 

Sridevi arm in arm with Poonam Dhillon on the sets of Pathar ke Insan

A year older than Sridevi, lovely Poonam Dhillon and Sri worked together in a handful of films. They also acted as sisters in quite a few. Think its the cherub faces they both had that worked in her favour. 

We've met Poonamji a few times in Hong Kong, she's as lovely and as soft-spoken as can be. Weirdly, have met film producer Ashok Thakeria too and he was such a gentleman. Wonder why the two couldn't make their marriage work, despite being such nice people. Oh well. Life is a mystery. 

We wish the original Noorie, Poonam Dhillon a very happy birthday. 

Poonam, Padmini and Sridevi: Fabulous in their 40s

TBT to 2010

Ladies of the 80s!

Poonam Dhillon, 48, Sridevi, 47, Padmini Kolhapure, 45.

Cine Blitz excerpt;

"Still wanted! Poonam Dhillon, Sridevi and Padmini Kolhapure at the launch of South filmmaker Bharathi Raja's Hindi film, Cinema. Sri said she was thrilled to be there for her mentor, who had cast her years ago in his South debut film." 

 

Subhash Ghai turns 80! Sridevi's Karma director's legacy is enshrined in marble!

Sridevi, producer/director Subash Ghai and Poonam Dhillon on the sets of Karma (1986)

Subash Ghai turns 80!

Sridevi worked with "Showman," a title usurped from Raj Kapoor, Subash Ghai in only one film; the biggest blockbuster of 1986, Karma. With an all-star cast led by Dilip Kumar, Nutan, Naseeruddin Shah, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Poonam Dhillon and a host of others, with a Sholay-esque plot line (the same beats of narrative!), Ghai always had a finger on the pulse of the Indian audience, as his movies made record breaking box-office. The opening of his movies were an event; a career that saw many ups and downs, Ghai endured all before riding box-office like a beast possessed. As writer, director, producer (often all three all at once and with a hand in music and a foot in dance too--watch the making of his movies!); his track record between 1982-1999 is one for the ages; 

1982 Vidhaata      Writer, Director

1983 Hero      Writer, Director & Producer

1985 Meri Jung    Writer & Director

1986 Karma      Writer, Director & Producer

1989 Ram Lakhan Writer, Director & Producer

1991 Saudagar        Writer, Director & Producer

1993 Khalnayak    Writer, Director & Producer

1997 Pardes      Director & Producer

1999 Taal              Writer, Director & Producer

Oh the money truck backed into his haul and he truly understood what paisa-vasool movies had to be; high drama, highlight songs, momentous dance routines; extravagance, exhibitionism and entertainment. He spent big money on set pieces, costumes, music, the film in its entirety. However, he famously wasn't as generous to his stars though; he'd often give them career defining roles, but not remuneration. More reputation than blank cheque offers.   

Which was not kosher for the highest paid Indian actress (and her famed momager, Rajeshwari!), the siren from the south Sridevi! Sridevi, then 22, was the shy, recently crowned Number One star of India who, by all accounts did not enjoy the experience of working in an ensemble film where she had little to do, and little to earn. Ghai's interactions with monosyllabic Devi, also didn't go down well. And the two never worked together again. Ghai found his muse in Meenakshi, then Madhuri, then Manisha, then Mahima, then, mmm hmm.  The muses dried up.

Though he worked with Madhuri Dixit the most--Mukta Arts featured her in a song in Karma (which was later cut), then Uttar Dakshin (produced and written by Ghai), Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Prem Deewane (produced by Ghai's brother but under his banner)--clearly something went wrong as there was a phase when he praised Sridevi to the skies while Madhuri was dancing around box-office, and in his films! 

(G)hai - kya hua?!

After English Vinglish, he stated that Sridevi's entire performance was a masterclass in acting and we've often seen Sridevi interacting with the director at events, be it premier or parties.  

Ghai's death spiral of flops (fiascos from Yaadein, Kisna, Black & White, Yuvraaj, Kaanchi) have spun out of control to such an extent that, he has essentially stopped making movies, and concentrating on Whistling Woods, the film school. Ghai didn't evolve with the times and the repeat formula of the retro vibe of his outdated storytelling simply hasn't worked; Yuvraaj was unbearable and Black & White was a yawn. Even the films he's produced have been no great shakes. 

And yet, fact of the matter is Subash Ghai will always be remembered for his superhits, be it song or scene. His early filmography holds, entrenched for the ages as the movies he made in the 1980s and 1990s have a huge nostalgia and repeat viewing factor. Watching Khalnayak on the big screen, the chills we got when the chorus started singing 'Ri ra ri ri... " before the intro of Khalnayak; his memorable song and dance (take a bow Saroj Khan) picturisation, his phenomenal ear for music (which he never lost tbh); Ghai rocked the whistle-blow entry scene for hero or villain, long before Tamil and Telugu cinema perfected it.  

In the winter of his life, we would love a juicy tell-all book about working in the Indian film industry, he famously doesn't mince words, "I have tasted success, I have tasted failure and I know everyone and everything changes around you when failure occurs. After Vishwanath, the party was over. Gautam Govinda, Karz and Krodhi [flopped]. Gautam Govinda and Krodhi took three years to make. With these two flops, everybody around me changed their tune. I never could forget how people turned on me. Even Shatrughan Sinha changed his tune. He stated that Subhash Ghai needs to learn the difference between a role and a actor. He doesn't know what is commercial and what is art. He said so many things like he understood commercial cinema. He forgot it was this Subhash Ghai that gave him Kalicharan and Vishwanath. That was when we decided to not work together again. The role of Ram in Ram Lakhan could have been done by Shatrughan..."

Ghai's place in the cine-pantheon is bolstered in marble, his legacy enshrined. At 80, he can truly rest on his laurels at long last. 

The Age of Innocence: Bollywood's leading ladies and their plats: Sridevi, Juhi Chawla to Jaya Prada

The Age of Innocence: Bollywood's leading ladies and their plats: Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Tina Munim, Poonam Dhillon, Hema Malini and Jaya Prada

In the age of IMDB and Wikipedia, today, every actress' date of birth and age is public knowledge. Until the turn of the century, no actress ever admitted their real age in print! For decades, you'd have to guess the age of Rekha, Jaya or Sridevi based on when their films were roughly released. Every figure and number was up for speculation. 

Anytime a lady was seen as being mature, they'd suddenly doll up in plats and baby pink colours to infuse a modicum of youthful zest on their screen personas. There was a stage when any leading lady would never want to portray the role of 'mother'  as they'd be bracketed as older - no matter how good the role was. 

In First Wive's Club, Goldie Hawn famously said, "There are three stages to an actress in Hollywood; Babe, District Attorney, Driving Miss Daisy!" 

In Bollywood, "Its college girl, Bhabhi, Mother to your Own Co-star of five years ago!" 

Hema Malini, Raakhee, Mousmi Chatterjee et al fell into that trap. Playing the mother role to stars who were either similar age or even older! Aging women out is common till date. 

Bollywood is that living contradiction; the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

 

Sridevi and Poonam Dhillon: Rare Pic; 5 films together as contemporaries and costars: The listicle

Sridevi and Poonam Dhillon were contemporaries and appeared in several films together, often as sisters. 

Poonam was a year older than Sridevi and debuted in the fantastic film Trishul (1978). In 1979 she hit Bollywood with a bang with the smash Yash Chopra hit Noorie - memorable for its scintillating music. In 1979, Sridevi appeared and disappeared from Bollywood in the rarely seen film Solva Saawan. Sri came back with a bang in 1983 with Himmatwala and never looked back. 

The 80s contemporaries, Poonam was a popular actress but never a contender for the Number One spot. As she herself said in interviews, she had no ambition to be the Numero Uno either. A pretty actress with great hair, great music in her films, amazing 80s fashion... she appeared in many family friendly movies throughout her career. 

Sridevi and Poonam appeared in five films together;

1. Karma (1986)
2. Himmat aur Mehnat (1987)
3. Sone pe Suhaaga (1988)
4. Pathar ke Insan (1990)
5. Judaai (1997)

Today, Poonam Dhillon turns 60 and we with the lovely actress many happy returns of the day. 

Sridevi and Poonam Dhillon

 Sridevi and Poonam Dhillon

Confessions: Startling revelations of Guilty Stars: Sridevi, Poonam Dhillon, Farha, Jackie Shroff

Confessions: Startling revelations of Guilty Stars: Sridevi, Poonam Dhillon, Farha, Jackie Shroff

TBT to this vintage page in a magazine with all the top stars of Bollywood in the 1980s.... 

Sridevi, Saeed Jaffrey and Poonam Dhillon on the sets of Pathar ke Insan

Sridevi, Saeed Jaffrey and Poonam Dhillon on the sets of Pathar ke Insan

Today - 8th January - is the birth anniversary of the British-Indian actor Saeed Jaffrey. A wonderful actor equally adept at drama as he was in comedy. 

He was brilliant in Shatranj ke Khiladi and there are several British TV shows and films he was great in - but his comedy in Chaalbaaz with Sridevi remains a personal fav.

This still from the (awful) film Pathar ke Insan. Released early in 1990, the movie is studded with late 80s fashion! 

Well, at least all three look good here. 

Legends-r-Us: Sridevi with Dilip Kumar over the years on stage, on film..

Legends-r-Us: Sridevi with Dilip Kumar over the years on stage, on film.... 

Anil Kapoor and Sridevi at the mahurat [launch] of Lamhe; Dilip Kumar, Sridevi, Poonam Dhilloon, Dara Singh on the sets of Karma.

Jeetendra, Dilip Kumar and Sridevi on the sets of Dharam Adhikari. 

Sridevi makes a rare appearance at an event for friend and colleague Poonam Dhillon

Sridevi at an event for friend and frequent colleague Poonam Dhillon, in the early 1990s. Poonam Dhillon was the first actress to launch luxury vanity vans in Bollywood - a gamechanger for stars who had to do outdoor location shoots. 

Dozens of pics in the archive here.

The ladies of the 80s: Poonam Dhillon, Sridevi and Padmini Kolhapure

 

The ladies of the 80s: Poonam Dhillon, Sridevi and Padmini Kolhapure

Poonam Dhillon 

 ੴ

@poonamdhillon

What a lovely pic. We all look relaxed & happy . Thanks for it- i had never seen it before . I always loved watching Sri on screen- tremendous actor !! Terrible loss 

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

Vinod Khanna and Sridevi: 1989 photoshoot for print

Publicity shots for the film Pathar Ke Insan (1990) - which ended up being a cover shoot for Star & Style in the early 90s. 

Looking for clearer scans of this shoot with gorgeous Sridevi and Vinod Khanna. 

Sridevi loved this look so much she used the blue salwaar in the photoshoot and in a key scene in Pathar ke Insan.

Sridevi seen here with co-stars Saeed Jaffrey and Poonam Dhillon

Sridevi on stage with Karishma Kapoor, Poonam Dhiloon, Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma

Sridevi on stage with Karishma Kapoor, Poonam Dhillon, Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.

2012

Below: Shahrukh Khan and Sridevi on stage. 

Rare Pic: Sridevi on the sets of Karma with producer/director Subash Ghai and Poonam

Rare Pic: Sridevi on the sets of Karma

More images from this series at earlier post here.

Poonam Dhillon remembers Sridevi: Colleagues and Friends

View this post on Instagram

#nostalgia-series . —- so sharing some moments of films , co-actors & friends through the years . Starting Today with the supremely talented beautiful @sridevi.kapoor who was #magiconscreen #gorgeous #beautifuleyes #amazingdancer #softspoken !! Her presence & grace is missed . Can’t believe 2 years since we lost this jewel of Film industry !

A post shared by PoonamDhillon (@poonam_dhillon_) on Mar 6, 2020 at 6:50am PST