Amitabh Bachchan presents Sridevi with her Best Actress Filmfare trophy

 

Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi: Big B turns 84

 

Sridevi with Amitabh Bachchan in Aakhree Raasta

I keep hearing Aakhree Pasta thanks to Chunky Pandey's unfunny antics but its really Aakhree Raasta, - which had its 40th anniversary earlier this year. 

Above, rare photos taken on the sets of the film; Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan.  

Released on 6 June 1986, the film was a slow start... but is counted as one of Amitabh Bachchan’s hits.  If you look at the press around then, when the infamous media ban was going on, the press seemed to be reluctant to declare a Bachchan film a hit. Well, time proved, that it was a hit. Directed by filmmaker K. Bhagyaraj, the Hindi vigilante drama is a remake of the 1985 Tamil film Oru Kaidhiyin Diary, which Bhagyaraj scripted and which was originally directed by Bharathiraja starring Kamal Haasan.

The production faced unique challenges due to the language barrier; the original screenplay was translated into Hindi, but Bhagyaraj did not speak the language. Legend has it that every morning, Bachchan reviewed the script and asked the director to deliver dialogues in Tamil to verify emotional accuracy. Bhagyaraj would dramatically emote entire scenes for the cast’s benefit. On the first day of shooting, Bachchan tested the director by asking him to narrate a full scene; impressed by Bhagyaraj’s preparedness, the superstar proceeded confidently with the movie. 

Amitabh Bachchan played yet another double role as father David D’Costa and son Inspector Vijay. Notable casting curiosities include Jaya Prada portraying his mother despite being about 20 years younger than Big B, and Anupam Kher (his foster father) being over a decade younger than him. This marked Bachchan and Kher’s first collaboration. 

A memorable graveyard confrontation scene sparked debate. Bachchan worried a long English dialogue would alienate audiences, but Bhagyaraj insisted the intensity would transcend language. The scene became one of the film’s most cheered moments. During filming in extreme heat, Kher learned resilience from Bachchan, who remained unfazed.

Sridevi, playing Vijay’s girlfriend Vinita Bhatnagar, joined the project rather reluctantly and for new fans looking back at the film, its a surprise - she sounds so different and her role is so inconsequential. As she was still mastering Hindi at the time, her voice was dubbed by the one and only Rekha - a top star at that time who didn't need to take the gig! 

Even though both Jaya Prada and Sridevi were in the film - they appear in no scenes together; which worked out fine considering their complicated history and fractured relationship.  

Sridevi said later, "I did Aakhree Raasta only because I had already signed the producers other film Khabardaar, which got shelved. I did not back out because of my good relations with the team. In Aaakhree Raasta I had a small role but there was also Jaya Pradha. It would have made no difference if I was in the film or not. Today I would never accept such an offer even if it had Amitabh Bachchan in it. It's not that I become too big to do such films. I wouldn't mind doing a small role, as long as I'm the only heroine in the film!"

Well, Sridevi stuck to her guns and didn't work with Big B again for years until the double-role offer of Khuda Gawah. 

Often hailed as Bachchan’s last major release before his late-80s hiatus as he segued into politics, Aakhree Raasta delivered strong box-office returns (especially in South India and Maharashtra) and earned some acclaim for its gripping revenge drama and emotional depth. 

It remains a fan favourite for its raw intensity and memorable climax, but upon recent re-watch... it is not a Top Ten Big B film. Not even Top 25! 

Amitabh Bachchan has consistently bettered himself in film after film, role after role. There's a reason why he's often touted as the greatest Indian superstar of all-time. An actor of note, there seems to be no limitation to his prowess... he's the celebrity of celebrities. He's the touchstone of so many actors... what can we say of 'everlasting light'... that hasn't been said before. A fan then, now and forever. As we are of Sri! 

Sridevi with Rekha at the Premeire of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja back in 1993

 

On stage, a pic of the leading ladies of Bollywood at the grand - and I do mean GRAND - premiere of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja held in Mumbai back in April 16, 1993.

Sridevi, then 29, Rekha, then 38, were decked to the hilt for the lavish occasion as almost the entire industry turned up. Obviously we have dozens of pics in the archive here and here. 

Funnily enough, prescient Anil Kapoor, said to the press a month after, that he knew the night itself the fate of his home production,  'Superhit premiere, flop film..." . When you've been in the industry long enough, the stats don't need to be read in print, only on the faces of the industry. 

The media - there was a particularly vicious Cine Blitz cover story - tried to put their foot between the friendship between Sridevi and Rekha, and tried to poison their ears - we can look back on several leading questions that tried to agitate one or the other. As time proved, the two South Indian superstars  were friends from beginning to tragic end. Rekha herself anointed Sridevi her successor early on - and has consistently, year after year, praised Sridevi as an actor, star and talent. If she poked a little fun at Sri, Sridevi took it on the chin - and gave back in turn too. Nothing broke their bond. 

Sridevi has been nothing but respectful to her senior - watch the Filmfare clip of Sridevi winning her Best Actress Filmfare award for Chaalbaaz - and the first person she greets after the win is Rekha. 

TBH Rekha has mostly maintained her relationship with her seniors, contemporaries, successors and juniors with a lot of affection - some have taken her generosity it in the spirit intended, others, not so much. 

As Rekha turns a year older today, we state again for the record, Rekha is the greatest Indian actress alive today. It's only the incompetent industry that can't come up with  decent script worthy of her oceanic talent. She proves herself time and again on stage, in reality shows, on film, in magazines, in photoshoots, interviews and covers... All her critics have ceased relevance. Rekha's stardom remains undiminished. 

Sridevi with Rekha, Deepika Padukone

 Sridevi with Rekha, Deepika Padukone 

 Happy Birthday Rekha! Forever young, forever beautiful 

 

Not all of YRF Products or Production is a hit: The rise and fall of Diva'ni

As glorious as Sridevi was/is/forever will be, when she walked down the catwalk in this overstuffed designer mishap, we had an inkling that the ambitious project by YRF, Diva'ni would... flop as badly as Befikre. 

Diva’ni (the cinema-inspired couture label created in partnership between Yash Raj Films and New Delhi-based heritage fashion house KBSH) is no longer operational. And few are weeping over its closure. If any.... 

The Arc of the Brand

• The Grand Launch (2013): Launched on Yash Chopra’s birth anniversary in September 2013, Diva’ni made a massive splash as India’s first film-inspired fashion house. The brand officially debuted with a star-studded runway show featuring SRK alongside nine iconic YRF leading ladies—including Rekha, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukerji, Katrina Kaif, and Anushka Sharma.

• Retail & International Expansion (2014–2016): Led by creative director Parinita Saluja, Diva’ni opened flagship stores in New Delhi (South Extension) and Mumbai, creating custom zardozi, hand-painted heritage textiles, and bridal wear. In 2016, it made headlines by opening a flagship store on M.M. Alam Road in Lahore, Pakistan, attempting to bridge cross-border couture through cinema heritage.

• Quiet Sunset: Following the late 2010s, as cross-border trade cooled and YRF shifted focus away from retail merchandising toward core film distribution and streaming ventures, Diva’ni’s physical boutiques closed down and the venture quietly wound down operations.

Sridevi at the Yash Chopra Memorial Awards 2016 honouring Rekha: Sridevi stuns in a Sabyasachi Mukherjee Sari

A ten year throwback, Sridevi looked so perfect at this event honouring Rekha. Friends from beginning to end...

Rarely does Sridevi ever go wrong wearing Sabyasachi and this recent sighting of hers was no exception either. Pairing the Sabya sari with an embellished clutch, also from the designer, an updo, a small bindi and gorgeous Sunita Kapoor polki earrings finished out the actor’s look while at an award ceremony in Mumbai.

Wouldn’t change a thing; Sridevi looked great!

-- From High Heel Confidential. 

 

The 3rd Yash Chopra Memorial Award ceremony took place in Mumbai on January 25, 2016, organised by the TSR Foundation under T. Subbarami Reddy. 

The prestigious event was established to honour iconic figures for their outstanding contributions to Indian cinema, carrying a gold medal alongside a cash prize of ten lakh rupees. 

Veteran actress Rekha was chosen as the guest of honour for her seminal body of work in Hindi cinema and her memorable collaborations with late filmmaker Yash Chopra, most notably in the classic romantic drama Silsila. 

She received the award from C. Vidyasagar Rao, the Governor of Maharashtra. In her emotional acceptance speech, Rekha reflected on how the legendary director taught her the true essence of love through his cinematic craft and inspired her journey as a poetess. 

Attending in an exquisite Sabyasachi Mukherjee sari, Sridevi shared the stage to applaud her peer. Sridevi expressed immense joy and respect for Rekha, praising her as a true diva, an enduring inspiration, and a deeply deserving recipient of the honour. She noted how Rekha's grace, versatility, and timeless contribution to Indian cinema continue to motivate generations of actors. 

The star-studded gathering brought together prominent Bollywood stalwarts and dignitaries. Guests present at the evening included Ranveer Singh, Shatrughan Sinha, Jaya Prada, Simi Garewal, Subhash Ghai, Boney Kapoor, and Yash Chopra’s widow, Pamela Chopra, who all gathered to celebrate Rekha’s legacy. 

Born on October 10, 1954, Rekha turns 72 years old today.