Saturday, 2 May 2026

Trending meme of Sridevi


Sridevi as Princess in Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja: Not all cultural appropriation is created equal.

Sridevi... really looks like a porcelain doll here. An incredible comic performance, lost in the haze of the film's disastrous box-office. There are several parts in the film that stand out for its comedic verve, action (the train scene), musical numbers... 

And this bit of cultural appropriation. And I'm going to straight up pilfer from my favourite YouTuber and deep diver, writer, Lindsay Ellis, who wrote, and I quote, "And yeah, this, this is a form of cultural appropriation... The fact that cultural appropriation is in theory a neutral term leads to a lot of false equivalencies, i.e. why is this form of cultural appropriation okay, but Gwen Stefani dressing as a sexy warrior is not okay. Well, it's a complex issue and there is a lot of intersection over race and class and gender, but here is a general rule of thumb: if it is a culture that was historically exploited by colonialism appropriating a historically colonizing culture, no harm, no foul. No one gets mad at Mexico for appropriating elements of German culture.... If it is a historically colonialist culture appropriating a culture that was exploited by colonialism, then people start to get a little cranky. Obviously there are intersections and complexities, but for simplicity's sake I'll leave it there for now. But I think most people would agree that unlike something like Pocahontas or even Slumdog Millionaire, a movie which pretty much every Indian I've ever talked to is not a fan of, this kind of cultural appropriation is basically harmless. This is what I mean by cultural appropriation being a neutral term. Not all cultural appropriation is created equal."

The character (one of several in Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja), Sridevi plays in the scene to steal the priceless artefact, while competing with fellow thief essayed by Anil Kapoor, is not in any way or measure making fun of or deriding anyone, any country, culture or its people. As royalty, in the most exquisite, painstakingly created makeup look created by the magician that is Mickey Contractor, Sridevi got the style, exquisite and expensive wardrobe (Neeta Lulla styled), mannerisms, tone and that cheeky giggle right, done to perfection for the sake of a genuinely funny scene. Comparing it to Mickey Rooney's Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's is a stretch, inaccurate and wildly out of place as intention is key here. No one had an agenda to punch down to the people of "Cheenchpokli," an entirely fictional state and, in the fictional Bollywooden realm of musical fantasy. No harm, no foul. 

All comedy is subjective and we've got to look back at the early 90s for what it was, pre-woke, pre self reflection and pre snowflake trigger response of getting offended at the drop of a hat. When the film was orignally released, no one was crying foul over the depiction of anyone in the movie - mostly because the film tanked and barely ran at the box-office. People couldn't be offended by things they didn't see! However, having found new lease in life on OTT platform, upon rewatch, some snowflakes have found just about everything in the film offensive. A trigger response with little thought or genuine empathy to a makeshift cause. We can't all weaponise our feelings and vomit it out on Twitter when the engagement online is low.... 

Take several seats. To quote Wendy Williams. 

 
 

TBT: Sridevi's Centrefold from 1988!


Let's allll be glad 80s fashion, hair and makeup ended when it did! 

This Sridevi centrefold from Cine Blitz, May 1988! 

Friday, 1 May 2026

Digitally remastering a Masterpiece: Tamil classic Moondram Pirai on Prime Video


 

7 of Sridevi’s Least Favourite Things (According to the Legend Herself): A Buzzfeed-y listicle


7. Doing TV serials 

Sridevi straight-up said her TV stint wasn’t enjoyable at all. With little Khushi (just 2) and Janhvi (4) at home, waking up at 7am for long shoots at Film City left her exhausted. “Not my cup of tea,” she admitted. 

6. Disco dancing & those wild on-screen outfits 

She hated “wriggling” in outlandish clothes for dance numbers and only did it because it was her job. Fun fact: she had never been to a real disco in her life and was pretty sure she’d hate it anyway. Blame the crowds (and her conservative mom who wasn’t a fan either).

5. Her own short temper & violent outbursts 

Sridevi openly confessed she could get so angry she’d break things and smash glasses. What triggered it most? Lack of discipline and people being late — especially if her breakfast wasn’t on time. (She kept it quiet around her dad though.

4. Negative fan reactions to her films 

After Chandra Mukhi, she got major flak from fans who felt she was “wasted” in the project. Ouch.

3. Her debut Hindi film Solva Saawan 

A total bad memory. She was bored repeating the same role from Tamil/Telugu versions, didn’t know Hindi, hated Bombay, missed Madras, and messed up the very first take (which she took as a superstitious bad omen). Secretly, she was relieved when it flopped because she thought she could go back home and quit!

2. School (and crowds in general) 

As a child artiste, she loved the costumes and wigs but hated school. She was painfully shy and terrified of sitting in a classroom with strangers. That fear of crowds stuck with her even as an adult superstar.

1. Not having (or wanting) industry friends 

Sridevi was famously reserved and shy — she had zero friends in the film industry (but also zero enemies!). She felt completely fulfilled with her family, called her sister her best friend, and had no interest in “chamchas” or fake people. She preferred staying in Madras after marriage over Bollywood socializing.

Classic Sridevi being her honest, introverted, no-nonsense self. The ultimate “I’m just here to work and go home to my family” icon. 

Which one surprised you the most?

Comment below! 

PS: Every bit of the above list, filtered from all her interviews that we've carefully curated and archives here at the largest Sridevi site in the world wide web! 

Ajith with Sridevi: Happy Birthday Ajith Kumar

Ajith with Sridevi: Happy Birthday Ajith Kumar!

The fine actor turns 55 today. 

Seen here with Sridevi on the sets of the Tamil version of English Vinglish.