The most comprehensive fan blog dedicated to India's most beautiful and greatest actress of all-time (in our humble opine!), Sridevi. Sridevi aka Sreedevi, ruled Indian cinema (with awesome performances in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films) in a career spanning 50 incredible years featuring 266 films. Born in Sivakasi on August 13 1963, her untimely and tragic death on February 24, 2018 left a nation in mourning. In our hearts, she'll forever be, the eternal Queen of Bollywood.
Monday, 5 October 2026
Filmfare: Unquestionably No: 1 Sridevi Reaches the Top: July 1984 :
UNQUESTIONABLY No. 1
Every five years or so, an elaborate ritual takes place in Hindi moviedom. The reigning glamour queen abdicates her title in favour of a younger tinsel goddess. Such a transition took place recently. When Rekha was replaced by another actress from the South - Sridevi.
The sensuous bombshell has grabbed the limelight.
Profiled by Nikhil Lakshman.
SRIDEVI," says Rekha, "is number one. Give her six months more and she will redefine the rules of the industry." The erstwhile glamour queen is not the only one. From movie moguls to top screenplay writers, from directors to superstars, the view is unanimous. A Greek chorus. In less than eighteen months, this captivating gamine from NTR territory has clearly demonstrated her unbelievable box-office potential.
And the price is Rs. 12 lakhs. No actress has ever shot up so swiftly. It took Hema Malini nearly four years to make the ascent. Rekha even with Mr B's help took an identical period. And neither faced the cut-throat competition that Sridevi faces.
Today, there are so many actresses in the race: Rati Agnihotri, Jaya Prada, Padmini Kolhapure, Dimple Kapadia, Meenakshi Seshadri, Moon Moon Sen. So what makes Sridevi run? And number one?
The present power and glory is a far cry from the humiliation five years ago, when "Solva Sawan" was released. Though it was a good re-make of that fine Tamil film "16 Vayathinile", the movie flopped. As for Sridevi, despite a...
...tantalising show of thigh- immortalised in that enchanting freeze when she wades across a river - and an on-par performance, the film's failure instantly banished her from the Hindi movie scene.
At about the same time, another actress from Andhra Pradesh was delighting audiences with her performance in "Sargam". Ironically, that superhit had little impact then on Jaya Prada's career which, thanks to her refusal to learn Hindi and badly-conceived projects like "Lok Parlok" and "Biwi", went into limbo.
Meanwhile, deeply hurt at the "Solva Sawan" episode, Sridevi worked hard at her craft in Hyderabad and Madras. As a child actress she had her debut at 4. As an adult she zoomed to the top in the South. She could hold her own both in corny song 'n dance extravaganzas like "Bubbulipuli" and "Premabhishekam" as well as serious well-made films like Balu Mahendra's "Moondram Pirai".
A. Raghavendra Rao, the Telugu Croesus who is widely given credit for 'creating' Sridevi, recalls the sensation that Bobbili Puli was: "Whenever NTR - you must remember she was 16 and he was nearing 60- and Sridevi came together on screen, a strange electricity passed through the audience. And they began to show their appreciation by throwing coins, clapping enthusiastically. No Telugu film has had such a response.
Then, in late 1980, Padmalaya Films, controlled by the Telugu actor Krishna, approached her with a proposal. They were going to make a Hindi film and would she be interested in acting in it? Sridevi wasn't too sure. Nor were her parents who vet every script, pass judgement on the role she is to accept. More out of loyalty to that banner and mentor Raghavendra Rao, she agreed. And thus, “Himmatwala” was born.
On the sets, Sridevi discovered that her eyes-always-on-the-box-office co-star Jeetendra had vociferously approved her selection. However, financiers and distributors were not so enthusiastic. Raghavendra Rao recalls the long hours spent in convincing them that Sridevi was the right choice. One important factor in their favour was distributor Ramesh Sippy's support. Sippy, Jeetendra's brother-in-law, is known as a shrewd businessman. He decided to hard-sell Sridevi. Huge hoardings of her appeared overnight in Bombay. “This is Sridevi,” they proclaimed, “Watch out for her in ‘Himmatwala'”.
The intention was obviously to re-introduce her to Hindi audiences and it worked. “Himmatwala” is a garish, inane exercise on celluloid. But, somehow it clicked.
In the age of video, it earned over one crore, making it one of the biggest block-busters last year. With oomph oozing from every pore, the actress was an instant hit.
In the meantime, producer Ramesh Sippy had struck a deal with director Balu Mahendra to re-make “Moondram Pirai”. “Himmatwala” had not yet been released, so Sippy was lukewarm about having Sridevi in “Sadma”. Dimple was his first choice. But when the other Sippy - G. P. and son Ramesh—grabbed her for “Saagar”, Sridevi was signed for “Sadma”.
The film remains one of the high points of 1983, an otherwise dull year of movie-making. Neither Silk Smitha's lascivious gesticulations nor Kamal Haasan's fine performance could match Sridevi's pyrotechnics in “Sadma”. As for her acting the transformation from city slicker to infantilism and back was effortless.
Unfortunately, “Sadma” flopped. And Sridevi was back to making movies like “Maqsad” and “Tohfa”.
Sridevi had to jettison her 'respectable' image down South, grabbing skimpy outfits and going into postures straight out of Vatsayana (one Southern director shudders recollecting those seducing scenes in 'Inquilaab').
Today, after a year of shuttling between Madras and Bombay, Sridevi is entrenched in Hindi films. Not even flops like "Kalakaar" or damp squids like "Inquilaab" have erased that reputation. Of course, she was fortunate in making a comeback just when there was room at the top.
Hema Malini was no longer in the very young brigade. Rekha was more busy with her mind-and-body affair. And none of the younger actresses like Rati Agnihotri or Padmini Kolhapure had really managed to bulldoze the audience. Sridevi had to jettison her 'respectable' image down South, grabbing skimpy outfits and going into postures straight out of Vatsayana (one Southern director shudders recollecting those ugh! seducing scenes in "Inquilaab").
It might not have earned her a place in the critics' note-books, but it delighted audiences.
Sex is emblazoned on her every gesture. Sridevi has had her share of "Justice Choudhury", "Mawaali", "Tohfa", "Akalmand", "Maqsad". Routine re-makes have been transformed into record-breakers by her sheer presence.
"Else why should films without a semblance of a story-line and with Jeetendra co-starring be such big hits? I tell you people want to see Sridevi, not anyone else," says one movie-maker. Apparently, her parents make all the decisions for Sridevi. It is a well-oiled, carefully-constructed exercise. According to some sources, Sridevi rarely compromises where the price and her roles are concerned. The rule of thumb is simple: Market price and roles that play her up considerably.
"Though she maintains excellent public relations, Sridevi is perfectly capable of saying no even to producers who have funded her height up," says one Southern source. Unlike many local actresses, Sridevi is an absolute professional. No tantrums. No late-coming. No truancy because of mishaps in love. She is on the sets well ahead of time and raring to go.
"She does not disobey the director ever," says Raghavendra Rao, "in fact you can mould her whatever way you want".
In fact, that is exactly what worries Sridevi watchers. The success of movies like "Tohfa" and "Himmatwala" have forced her into an erotic slot that confines her to lewd dances and little else; just forget acting.
Now that she is on the top of the world, surely she can select her roles more carefully. They say, Rekha rushes to her defence. She says, "Sure, these films are crap. But don't forget they run. And that is very important. If you want to do something in the future, something lasting, you must be prepared to work with junk in the early years. We all did."
Most of the films Sridevi has on hand are the typical Madras masala movies. One reason for this nonchalance towards performances could be that both films in which she had concentrated on histrionics - "Solva Sawan" and "Sadma" - flopped. So she openly states her determination to woo commercial success.
"If these films run, why not?"
How long will the Sridevi phenomenon go on? One movie pundit insists that Sridevi is just a stop-gap number one. The moment a more viable alternative comes along, she will be forced to return to Madras.
Echoing a similar viewpoint another trade source says: "With video around, you have to continuously come up with newer things all the time if your film has to run. Though she has an extremely mobile face and is a good actress, people will tire of her and want something new.
Yet Amitabh Bachchan places his bet on Sridevi. He is believed to have said that no actress - not Jaya Prada nor any of the others - can touch Sridevi "for the next five years".
Of course, there are a bevy of heroines all dying to have a shot at Sridevi's title: Jaya Prada, of course, was running neck-to-neck till early this year and has old scores to settle with her Telugu compatriot. Rati Agnihotri has the largest number of films on hand. Mahesh Bhatt is backing Padmini Kolhapure. Meenakshi Seshadri has some good films ahead. And there are those dark horses - Dimple and Moon Moon Sen. Moon Moon could be the actress giving Sridevi nightmares.
The last word on the subject comes from Rekha: "Of all the other actresses, Jaya Prada is being promoted as Sridevi's only rival. Sure she is terrific-looking, but can she act? What wouldn't I do for a face like Sridevi's! Why call me a sex symbol? My God, that girl is miles ahead of me!"
-- FILMFARE JULY 16—31, 1984
Sridevi's comedy act in Gurudev
Screengrab of gorgeous Sridevi in Gurudev.
Queen of Comedy in Bollywood.
Sridevi choreographs for... Janhvi Kapoor! Rare clip and laughter of Sridevi
Sunday, 4 October 2026
Sridevi : Divya Bharti : Compared till date: Cute Videoclip of the two
Cinema and an untimely death ties them together even more... Alas.
Below clips of the two - sadly, there isn't a single picture or clip of the two stars together. And yes, they did meet. Divya Bharti discussed it in the past in a video interview.
Krishna and Sridevi in Adrushtavanthudu (1980)
Adrushtavanthudu (1980) is a Telugu film starring Krishna (in the lead) and Sridevi (as the female lead), along with Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi, and others.
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