Sridevi’s Top 10 Hits: In Order: Ranked by Return on Investment: 1983-1997: Sridevi's Bollywood Highlights

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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

Highlights of the Commercial Rankings

• 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.

• 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 overseas markets.

• 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.

Sridevi’s Top 10 Career Hits (1983–2018)

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).

Key Takeaways on Her Late-Career Box Office Impact

• The International Power of Mom (2017): While Mom had a solid, 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.

• 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).

Sridevi and Anil Kapoor On Set

Sridevi and Anil Kapoor - what looks like the two on the sets of the film Main Tera Dushman. Sridevi had an extended cameo in the film. Looks like Anil Kapoor dropped in on the set. Or he didn't complete the film and Sunny Deol took over. 

To be confirmed...

NFDC's tribute to Sridevi: A short clip

 

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Sridevi and Sunny Deol: Main Tera Dushman

Sridevi and Sunny Deol: Main Tera Dushman 

A rather telling title.. if you know the complicated history between the two stars. 
 

Sridevi with the kids and Mr.India: One of the funniest scenes and songs

There are too many podcasts now but on occasion some little factoid will crop up about classic Indian cinema.

Eg recently we heard that unlike her on screen role, Sridevi got along fabulously with all the children on set. The kids Ahmed Khan, Aftab Shivdasani and gang taught Sridevi the Egyptian steps - which she later used in Hawa Hawai.

Aftab and Ahmed said that on set Calendar - ie Satish Kaushik - was the assistant director and he had the job of getting all the kids together and prepared for the shot - and he was very, very strict! They said they didn't like "Satish uncle" back then - they do now. 

Recently Anil Kapoor wore his Mr.India jacket and full look... to show that he still fits into it. 

After much brouhaha on social media about Mr.India 2, 3, 4... we haven't heard much about it since. 

99% of what was great about the movie is no longer with us, not the music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, not the choreographer Saroj Khan, not the great Mogambo... Amrish Puri, not Calendar ie Satish Kaushik, and not Sridevi aka the intrepid crime reporter Seema. 

With Shekhar Kapur, the slow and indecisive director not having a hand in the sequels either... what on earth could the films be apart from a major disappointment.

We are already hating the idea - and will probably end up hating the film too. Without Sridevi - it is nothing.

Just an exploitation of the IP ... when the soul is missing. 

Oh well... 

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Sridevi Rockin' her Star and Style

Now defunct, Star and Style was a filmy gossip rag that had centerfolds such as these. Believe it or not, its from the set of Chandni. If you go through the film, Sridevi appears in this look in a fleeting scene.

Everything about this look is so... 80s. Love it.

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Sridevi : The double page spread

 Most of these spreads from Filmfare in the 1980s and early 90s