Sridevi montage trending on Instagram

Sridevi pic trending on social media! 

 

Sridevi in Moscow, Dec 2017

TBT: Sridevi speaks to the press in Moscow, Russia. Dec 2017

20th Anniversary of the Sridevi Fan Page

 

20 years ago today, I started the small Sridevi yahoo fan page - which has since morphed to this blog - to collect ALL images of Sridevi and collect every news-byte, feature and interview with her or in her orbit as an ardent fan. Along the way, I found the like-minded (and the insane!) and we've been growing together as the largest Sridevi fan site online.  

The numbers grew slowly and exploded in 2012 when it was made official that Sridevi would return to films, yanked out of her self-imposed retirement and hiatus by the formidable Gauri Shinde/R Balki/Boney Kapoor holy trifecta. 

Now, two years since her passing - or as we see it, return to her deity form as she was a Goddess* - we average between 2.5 - 3.2 million views till date. 

Gone, but not forgotten, Sridevi. Forever. And ever.

My oft-repeated Goddess anecdote. 

So for a cover story of Post magazine, I got to meet Sridevi on 30 August, 2012. At the end of the chat with Sridevi, I told her pls do more movies as we fans miss her so much and then talked briefly about a book; if I could write a biography of sorts on her. She said, "Why would anyone want to read a book on me? I'm just an ordinary woman..."

"NO!", you are not!" I loudly interjected. "You're a Goddess - you just don't KNOW you're a Goddess!".

She laughed. The PRS at the hotel laughed. Her personal-trainer laughed... 

I was hella serious! 

She patted my head (she's a lot taller) and walked away. 

RIP Sridevi. 

Janhvi Kapoor: I love you mumma

Sridevi's first-born, daughter Janhvi Kapoor, posted a simple message and published on instagram, this picture from her personal collection on - what would have been - Sridevi's 57th birthday... 

 

Sridevi's last birthday in Bombay

Manish Malhotra hosted a private, VVVIP gathering for a quiet dinner at his house in honour of Sridevi's birthday in August 2017.

This was, as cruel fate would have it, the last birthday Sridevi celebrated with a handful of her closest friends, who just happened to be the A-list of Bollywood, Mumbai society, media, fashion and publishing.

Though there were others, in this rare clip the known faces we see - including Sridevi of course - include Rekha, Tina Munim, Rani Mukhkerjee, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Vidya Balan, Manish Malhotra and Filmfare magazine editor Jitesh Pillai.

Archive of past Sridevi birthday posts here. 

Boney Kapoor and Sridevi

 

Boney Kapoor and Sridevi over the years. Boney Kapoor knew of Sridevi long before he produced the film Mr.India when she was his lead actress. Originally, he was going to produce a film called Govinda (also with Sridevi and Anil) but that never got made back in 1984. 

Rare images of the two on the sets of film, post marriage and after the birth of Janhvi Kapoor. 

On Twitter, producer and husband of Sridevi, Boney Kapoor posted:

Boney Kapoor

@BoneyKapoor

·

17h

Jaan missing you lots every second of the 900 days you left us , but more so today to see the joy on your face for the good reaction to Janu’s work in Gunjan, I wish you were here with us, our joy is incomplete without you. Happy birthday my love my life. #HappyBirthdaySridevi

Happy Birthday Sridevi

Sigh. Had she been alive, Sridevi would have turned 57 today.

Happy Birthday Sridevi... wherever you are.

Below: Short clip of Sridevi's last birthday in Mumbai, the year she turned 54, her best friend, designer Manish Malhotra, hosted a private dinner at his home inviting all the leading ladies of Bollywood to his house.

Clip from August 2017.