TBT: Sridevi with Boney Kapoor back in 2009

Sridevi and Boney Kapoor during her hiatus. English Vinglish was still years away, Judaai was years before... 

Just a pleasure for us Sridevi fans to see her out and about... 

How we miss those days... 

Rare pic: Sujata Mehta with Sridevi

 

Though she was four years, five months older than Sridevi, actress Sujata Mehta must have felt like a rank newcomer on the sets of Ramesh Sippy's Zameen, when she worked briefly with both Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. 

This rare, rare still from the sets of Zameen sets the status quo; Sridevi was already a mega star, and Sujata was just a few films old. Though she had a massive hit with Pratighaat, her first film, in 1987, success and hits at the box-office were very few and far between. Her filmography is all over the place. A good actor and theater veteran, luck was elusive when it came to films. 

Contemporaries: Sridevi, Sujata Mehta, Jaya Prada
Feb 1988, Cine Blitz

Sridevi's ad for Lux: 80s gloss and glamour!

The makeup, the glamour, the white turban, the accessorires, the statement earring, the glossy makeup... Sridevi's dazzling eyes, her perfect lips.. the face of Indian cinema, in an iconic ad for Lux. 

The image was shot by Rakesh Shreshta, styled by Neeta Lulla - circa 1989 - clever clogs and hardcore Sridevi observers will note, its the same earring, styling and shoot as a MOVIE magazine cover shoot from Sept 1989. 

Sridevi on the cover of International Cine Blitz

Photos by the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha. 

Golden gal Sridevi in Cine Blitz. 

The Sridevi Centrefold: On the sets of Chandni: Photography Rakesh Shreshta

 

Hindi Original: आज श्रीदेवी क्या इसलिए बड़ी मेहनत से पैसा बटोर रही हैं कि किसी और के विचारों पर चलती रहें? क्या श्रीदेवी अपने परिवार की गुलाम हैं? उनके अपने विचार हैं भी या नहीं? क्या ये नंबर वन महज ग्लैमर का रंगीन धुआं भर है? 

English Translation: Is Sridevi working so hard to rake in money today just to keep living by someone else's terms? Is Sridevi a slave to her own family? Does she even have thoughts of her own, or not? Is this "Number One" status merely a colorful smoke of glamour? 

Hindi: छाया : राकेश श्रेष्ठ 

English: Photo: Rakesh Shrestha 

Sridevi in MOVIE magazine: Feb 1995

The look first appeared in MOVIE magazine, Feb 1995 issue.

Sridevi, 31, in a dazzling sari, styled with traditional jewellery but with a modern twist in her hair. Gorgeous Sri. 

By 1995, the sun had set on the once imperious Sridevian era. One too many expensive flops, the youth uprising of the Karishma, Manisha, Raveena... able performances (both in box-office and acting) by Juhi and Madhuri and, gasp... not a single Sridevi film release in 1995 since 1969!

But once a queen, always a queen. She still dazzled, there were still stellar performances down the pipeline and she rose above the waves and low tides of hits and flops... with her sense of humour intact; "How can I promote Nagarjuna, when I need someone to promote me?" said the longest lasting Number One actress of her and ALL time! 

The Sridevi centrefold: How Amitabh Bachchan sent Sridevi a truckload - not a bouquet - of flowers!

If Khuda Gawah was shot the way it was originally cast, it would have had Amitabh Bachchan and Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Dutt and Farah Khan! But from initial talk to film release, everything about the movie changed - as we discover from film magazines from the late 1980s. 

Excerpt: 
 

"... used no such bait to lure the reluctant Empress into signing the film. Says Desai, "When negotiations broke down with Dimple, I wanted to sign Sridevi, but I was hesitant because I'd heard that she'd been turning down films with Amitabh. I didn't want her to refuse my offer (being chairman of the Amitabh Fan Club, obviously he wanted to do nothing that would embarrass Bachchan) but when I sounded her, I got no negative vibes. I met her again and explained how the film had two angles - she was to play both Amitabh and Sanjay Dutt's girlfriends. She seemed very keen to do the film. 

In fact, her enthusiasm surprised me. So, I asked her if it was true that she'd been turning down films with Amitabh and she denied ever having done that. She maintained that it was a false rumour - that she'd never said she would never work with 'Amitji' and that all she'd ever demanded was a substantial role in any film offered to her. And since most Bachchan films were a one-man show, there was nothing for her to do in those films, and now since we were offering her a good role, she was willing to do it."

Desai found it all very 'reasonable'. But it isn't as simple as he makes it out to be. Her 'reasonableness' seems to be a very recent occurrence. Earlier, when Shashi Kapoor had approached Sridevi for an important role in his prestigious Ajooba, she'd asked him precisely what her role in the film would be. When an excited Shashi began narrating the film's story to her, she is said to have cut him short with a 'Look, why don't you come down to Madras and narrate the story to my father? If he likes it then you can discuss the money with my mother'. Naturally, Shashi didn't pursue the matter any further.

Amitabh was quick to grab the initiative for a reconciliation. Impressed by Sridevi's riveting dance in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, he sent her a truckload of flowers and a warm note. Sridevi, not impervious to his charm and the diktat of the box-office, conveniently succumbed...."