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.
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In 90s when I was editor g#Sridevi was chief guest for our 5 year celebrations. She flew down from #Chennai, attended our event without chaperons, sat, smiled n quietly exited. Her presence was overpowering.
It is 3 years n we still sense your fragrance |
Teenaged Sridevi at the Solva Saawan audio launch party back in 1979! Her father Ayappan Naidu, her mother Ayappan Rajeswari (born Rajeshwari Reddy) look on at their superstar teenaged daughter making her hesitant steps into Bollywood.
The third remake of her original hit 16 Vayathinale, Solva Saawan nose-dived at the box office despite capable performances by the leading stars (ever reliable Amol Palekar included) and the melodies of Jaidev.
Yet another massive age-gap, teenaged Sridevi's co-star was nearly 19 years older. Sridevi was tired of the re re remake and predicted the film wouldn't work well at the Hindi belt.
Tried watching it online - you can find the film on YouTube... but its... slow.
Collage from https://www.instagram.com/ayappansreedevi/
| Film | Release Year | Estimated Budget | Worldwide Gross | ROI Multiplier (Gross ÷ Budget) | Box Office Verdict |
| 1. Nagina | 1986 | ₹1.50 Crore | ₹13.00 Crore | ~8.67x | Blockbuster |
| 2. Tohfa | 1984 | ₹1.25 Crore | ₹9.00 Crore | ~7.20x | Blockbuster |
| 3. Karma | 1986 | ₹2.65 Crore | ₹13.00 Crore | ~4.91x | Blockbuster |
| 4. Judaai | 1997 | ₹6.00 Crore | ₹28.00 Crore | ~4.67x | Super Hit / Hit |
| 5. Himmatwala | 1983 | ₹1.40 Crore | ₹5.00 Crore | ~3.57x | Blockbuster |
| 6. Chandni | 1989 | ₹8.00 Crore | ₹27.20 Crore | ~3.40x | Blockbuster |
| 7. Khuda Gawah | 1992 | ₹5.70 Crore | ₹17.05 Crore | ~2.99x | Super Hit / Hit |
| 8. ChaalBaaz | 1989 | ₹5.00 Crore | ₹14.50 Crore | ~2.90x | Super Hit |
| 9. Mr. India | 1987 | ₹3.80 Crore | ₹10.00 Crore | ~2.63x | Super Hit / Blockbuster |
| 10. Masterji | 1985 | ₹1.75 Crore | ₹4.00 Crore | ~2.28x | Hit |
Highest ROI — Nagina (1986): Made on a modest budget, this supernatural drama was an unprecedented financial miracle, generating over eight times its production cost through packed theatrical runs driven by Sridevi's iconic performance, memorable music - and a climactic song and dance routine we are STILL talking about 40 years later.
Biggest Overseas & Big-Budget ROI — Judaai (1997): Demonstrating her long-standing box-office longevity right before her temporary retirement, Judaai brought massive theatrical returns both in India and in particular the overseas markets ensured the Kapoors had a solid hit.
The High-Budget Tentpoles — Khuda Gawah & Mr. India: Because films like Mr. India and Khuda Gawah were among the most expensive Hindi productions ever mounted at their time of release, their absolute box-office returns were massive, though their ROI multipliers reflect their high initial investment.
| Rank | Film | Release Year | Estimated Budget | Worldwide Gross | ROI Multiplier | Box Office Verdict |
| 1 | Nagina | 1986 | ₹1.50 Crore | ₹13.00 Crore | ~8.67x | Blockbuster |
| 2 | Tohfa | 1984 | ₹1.25 Crore | ₹9.00 Crore | ~7.20x | Blockbuster |
| 3 | Karma | 1986 | ₹2.65 Crore | ₹13.00 Crore | ~4.91x | Blockbuster |
| 4 | Mom | 2017 | ₹37.00 Crore | ₹185.78 Crore | ~5.02x | Super Hit (Global) |
| 5 | Judaai | 1997 | ₹6.00 Crore | ₹28.00 Crore | ~4.67x | Super Hit / Hit |
| 6 | English Vinglish | 2012 | ₹20.00 Crore | ₹83.60 Crore | ~4.18x | Hit / Super Hit |
| 7 | Himmatwala | 1983 | ₹1.40 Crore | ₹5.00 Crore | ~3.57x | Blockbuster |
| 8 | Chandni | 1989 | ₹8.00 Crore | ₹27.20 Crore | ~3.40x | Blockbuster |
| 9 | Khuda Gawah | 1992 | ₹5.70 Crore | ₹17.05 Crore | ~2.99x | Super Hit / Hit |
| 10 | ChaalBaaz | 1989 | ₹5.00 Crore | ₹14.50 Crore | ~2.90x | Super Hit |
(Note: Masterji and Mr. India move out of the top ten ROI spots to accommodate English Vinglish and Mom).
The International Power of Mom (2017): While Mom had a strong, profitable run in domestic Indian theaters, its massive release in China (May 2019) pushed its total gross to ₹185.78 crore. With a ~5.02x multiplier, it ranks as one of her top 4 highest ROI films ever.
The Comeback Juggernaut English Vinglish (2012): Made on a lean budget of ₹20 crore, the film grossed over ₹83 crore worldwide, fueled by exceptional overseas runs in Japan, Taiwan, and the US/UK markets, delivering a ~4.18x multiplier. For the longest time, the film was second only to 3 Idiots, the relatable angst of being lost in a city where the lingua franca is alien, it hit a nerve across the region. Plus, good lord she looked lovely.
35 Years of Box Office Viability: Sridevi remains one of the few actors in Indian cinema history to deliver a top-tier ROI blockbuster in 1983 (Himmatwala), 1997 (Judaai), and again in 2017 (Mom). 50 years in cinema, her track record is unbeatable.
