Sridevi and her costars: Rajinikanth, Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan

A fine observation by Anil Kapoor, "She [Sridevi] wanted to be the best even at the cost of sacrificing her personal life."

 ...well, all except Saif Ali Khan, who did a Filmfare cover shoot with Sridevi, but no film! 

Sridevi with Bollywood's Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, and her frequent co-star across Tamil and Hindi films, Rajinikanth. 

Now and then: Sridevi with Saif Ali Khan: Khushi Kapoor with Ibrahim Ali Khan

Now and then: Sridevi with Saif Ali Khan: Khushi Kapoor with Ibrahim Ali Khan 

About 31 years separates the two pics. Sridevi and Saif Ali Khan posed for a unique cover shoot for Filmfare, back in July 1994, a cover story about wealth and superstardom, familiar territory for the "superstarni." 

Khushi and Ibrahim are about to release their first film together (Khushi of course appeared in the God-awful Archies--irredeemable, tried watching it again before I wrote this) Nadaaniyan, on Netflix - due for release later in 2025. About six years ago, we predicted (well, most Bollywood voyeurs guessed) that the two younglings would meander their way to the world of movies inevitably. 

Releasing on Netflix of course rescues them from the pressure of do-or-die opening weekend box-office numbers, and since Netflix does not release viewership stats unless they want to (and how can we corroborate those figures?!), one will never know how well the movie does. Archies was universally panned by every critic but as the film had a tremendous curiosity value, clearly it must have done somewhat well during the first month of release. And then, Indian audience being what they are, plenty hate-watched it to pelt the film and its young stars on social media with their armchair critique. The cast and crew who found the 'comments off' button on Instagram must have been relieved! 

The stage show song and dance routine was... awkward. Like high-school kids showing their best moves to a rapturous audience filled with parents, and the sycophantic star-kissing papz (whose livelihood depends on selling the clips and images), all applauded and whistled on cue. The comments... tell us a different story. 

Was a bit of a deja-vu like how the Archies cast danced and pranced around on stage... Which would be worrying except, of course, the Nadaaniyan trailer looks pretty good. Well, they both look pretty - but can either deliver? That remains to be seen. 

We are "no longer holding space" for the argument that they're young, or its just their first/second film... The ticket-paying audience can smell BS from far, and has no time to indulge children with their hard-earned money. Indian cinema is dotted with stars who were exceptional from the get-go, at much younger ages. Look at Sridevi herself, who gave an award-winning performance at age six! Shobhana, Rekha, Aasha Parekh and host of others were teenagers when they started off, and early on showed signs of artistry the propelled their long, enduring careers. Hrithik Roshan in his first-film... well, need I type more?!  

As one of two links to Sridevi (the other being first-born Janhvi!), we want to like the (potential) artist Khushi Kapoor as much as anyone else. We hope she delivers (as Janhvi did in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl). Let's see... 

RELATED FEATURES
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• Saif Ali Khan, "Sridevi is the best..." Filmfare interview from July 1994 here 
• Over a dozen photos of Sridevi with Saif Ali Khan here.
• Sridevi and Saif Ali Khan over the years here.

Sridevi with Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Jeetendra

Sridevi with Anil Kapoor, Govinda, Rajinikanth, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Jeetendra! On photoshoots, in films, on film sets. 

Saif Ali Khan's cover shoot with Sridevi

 Born on August 16, 1970, Nawab Saab Saif Ali Khan turns 53 today. A major throwback to 1994 with Saif and Sridevi posed for Filmfare magazine for a unique cover shoot. Of course we have the entire thing in the archives here.

Sridevi and Saif Ali Khan: Happy Birthday Saifoo!!

Sridevi, 31, and Saif Ali Khan, 24: Happy Birthday Saifoo!

Saif Ali Khan turns 52 today. 

TBT to this explosive cover shoot and series shot exclusively for Filmfare back in the day. This was such a talked about shoot and series of pics. Sridevi was just seven years older than Saif - but typical of Bollywood, they made a huge hullaballoo about it. - and some were daft enough to suggest Sridevi play Saif's mother in a film! Simpler times. Stupider times. In fact, it hasn't changed that much now either... 

You can read about what happened during that momentous day, when newcomer Saif met screen Queen Sridevi here - see the gallery of images and entire series of amazing pics shot by Rakesh Shreshta here and here. 

What Saif Ali Khan said about Sridevi here. Fun fact, the entire family is a fan of Sridevi; from Sharmila Tagore, Amrita Singh, Saif, Kareena Kapoor Khan to Sara Ali Khan!  

Rare Spread: Sridevi and Saif Ali Khan in 1994

Two Much! Sridevi and Saif Ali Khan
 

Dozens of pics from this rarest of rare shoots in the archive here.

Sridevi and the Khans

Sridevi with Shahrukh Khan on the sets of the film Army 

Sridevi with Aamir Khan during a cover shoot for MOVIE magazine.

Sridevi with Saif Ali Khan for a cover shoot for Filmfare magazine.

Salman Khan and Sridevi on the sets of the film Chand Ka Tukda. 

What did all these gents have in common apart from a surname? They were all fans of Sridevi.

Scroll through the archives for quotes from them about Sridevi and Sri's opinion of them too.

TBT: Saif Ali Khan's cover shoot with Sridevi

Suitable super stars: Saif Ali Khan with Sridevi for Filmfare. 

Saif Ali Khan and Sridevi share a cover

For a mega TBT! Saif Ali Khan and Sridevi sharing magazine cover real estate! The difference between a tabloid and a glossy made abundantly clear...

Sridevi - cross generational fandom

Sridevi with legendary Indian actress Sharmila Tagore, her son Saif Ali Khan and his daughter Sara Ali Khan.

All were vocal fans of Sridevi. 

Khushi and Ibrahim: Next gen stars in the making?!

Sridevi's daughter and Saif Ali Khan (and Amrita Singh's) son Ibrahim spotted out n about in Mumbai.

Saif, Amrita and Kareena Kapoor were major Sridevi fans (scroll through our archive to find the relevant quotes and fandom of Sri!). Rumours are already circulating that Khushi Kapoor will soon be launched. Let's wait and watch.

Meanwhile, here's the July 1994 interview with Saif Ali Khan regarding Sridevi - from our comprehensive Sridevi archive.

All the images of Saif Ali Khan with Sridevi here.

Sridevi wtih Saif Ali Khan

Sridevi wtih Saif Ali Khan. From a Filmfare magazine cover shoot.

See the entire archive of images here.

Sridevi on the sets of Chaand Kaa Tukdaa (1994): Lady in Red

 

Sridevi on the sets of Chaand Kaa Tukdaa (1994).

Saif Ali Khan and Sridevi share the real estate of the cover of the Hindi tabloid Mayapuri. 

 

Sridevi poses with Saif Ali Khan: Outtakes from a Filmfare cover shoot in 1994

Sridevi's shoot with Saif Ali Khan for Filmfare magazine. 

This was a rather brilliant rising star meets superstar encounter!

See entire archive of images of Sridevi with Saif Ali Khan here.

July 1994

Saif Ali Khan: Sridevi’s the best: Filmfare, July 1994

Filmfare interview with Saif Ali Khan,
July 1994.

Gentle persuasion did the trick. For the Filmfare cover, we wanted two of the most talked-about stars of the day. We met Sridevi at Bombay’s Sahar airport the moment she touched down from London. The next day, she kept her promise. And a visibly excited Saif took hours off from a dubbing schedule to pose with la Devi whom he raves about as "my all-time favourite." So, we wondered…

How would you estimate Sridevi?\
Saif Ali Khan: While doing the photo session, I was very conscious about who she is. She has dignity and poise. No actress I have worked with has as much control as she does. The shoot was the high point of my day. If she ever agrees to act with me, it would be an honour. I don't know what kind of roles we could do together though…because she has been teamed with senior guys. Someone would have to come with a marvelously unusual script for us.

Why were you nervous while doing the session with her?
Saif Ali Khan: The minute I met Sridevi, I folded my hands into a namaste. I guess I was a bit nervous but I overcame that because she was so cool…while posing, I couldn’t see the myriad expressions she can bring on her face… because she was either behind me or in front. I was hoping that she was comfortable.

What would happen if you were stranded with Sridevi on a desert island?
Saif Ali Khan: Jeez, that’s a naughty question! Honestly, I think we'd talk and talk for days. She’s a persona, she’s seen so much of show business, she’s been acting ever since she was four years old. We’d become friends for life, I think. I’d catch fish and cook them over a fire for her.

Do you ever make comparisons between Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit?
Saif Ali Khan: Sridevi’s the best…so why make comparisons? I’ve to still see more lively and spontaneous performances than the ones she delivered in delivered in Mr India and Chaalbaaz.

If you saw Sridevi alone at a party, would you strike up conversation? Or would you look upon her as forbidden territory?
Saif Ali Khan: I’ve never been put off forbidden territory. If I saw Sridevi alone, I’d make conversation right-away. And by now, I think I’ve proved that I’m not put off by the forbidden. No one ever expected me to date Dingy, did they? It came as a shock to people when we started seeing each other.

Is Sridevi your kind of woman?
Saif Ali Khan: She certainly looks like every man’s fantasy. She has those unbelievable, whirlpool eyes. From her hair to her shoes, she’s so well put together. And she isn't arrogant rather she's a thorough professional. She's pretty slim, too. Not painfully slim... which is a kink of mine. I think girls shouldn’t be toothpick-thin.

To sum up, I would say the encounter with Sridevi was something like an encounter of a new heroine with Amitabh Bachchan. She commands respect. Perhaps Mr. Bachchan is more intimidating… perhaps intentionally so… while she made me feel like a buddy.

Finally, if a producer offered you the choice of acting with any top heroine, who would you opt for?
Saif Ali Khan: I’d be foolish not to opt for Sridevi. But the story should make us look right. So far, it is said that I looked compatible with Neelam in Parampara and Raveena Tandon in Imtihaan. Dingy says I look perfect with Kajol. So, it’s all a matter of opinion.

At the end of the session, you sent her a rose. Is that part of your charm?
Saif Ali Khan: She had to rush off to Madras. In the hurry, I could just organize a single rose. Otherwise, I would have given her a 100 roses…at least.



See entire series of shots of Saif Ali Khan with Sridevi here.