Krishna and Sridevi: Telugu cinema icons

 

Throwback: February 1989: Sridevi takes Umesh Mehra to court over a kiss with Mithun!

 

Sridevi denies kissing Mithun!
Court Verdict Awaited!

Just when the Press had stopped flagging the Mithun-Sridevi affair, just when the embers of the passionate affair were dying out, Sridevi has, unwittingly, revived the controversy.

Unexpectedly she has served producer R.C. Prakash of Guru and director Umesh Mehra a legal notice, and brought an injunction against the release of the film. The reason a kissing scene between her and Mithun ! (picturised, according to the grapevine, at the peak of their affair, in the heat of the moment).

The kiss that promises to have its repercussions.

Madam Sridevi, who today commands more than just her price, wants the scene to be deleted from the film, otherwise... Her claim is, the scene has been picturised on duplicates, MOVIE investigates.

The normally benign bearded director Umesh Mehra, is indignant with his heroine Sridevi. Controlling his rage, he explains the controversial scene, that has built up to the 'illegal' kiss in question. 

"A bare-bodied Mithun is exercising on the terrace. Sridevi descends on him, and her camera goes clicking, furiously. An embarrassed Mithun makes a quick exit, to re-emerge fully clothed, his face half-hidden in a hood. Sridevi sets the camera on 'self', wrenches his hood, and brushes his lips against hers. The camera clicks automatically. That's it. It's as simple and as passing a shot, as he describes it, then...

...why the hullabaloo Umesh deliberates, "The scene is a close-up of the lips, at that time she had done it willingly. But by the time the film got completed, she didn't want it."

Initially, Umesh had conceded to sever the scene but before doing anything so drastic, he wanted Sridevi to see the complete film. She eventually did see it, while dubbing film, the Sridevi-Mithun affair had culminated in a silent split. In fact, the press having failed to define the reason the split, had spent hours on the sets of Guru, hoping to get a lead. A clue, or a cue from the not-so-cosy, (anymore) star-couple.

Getting back to the issue of Guru, midway through the dubbing, Umesh recollects, "Sridevi made R.C. Prakash sign a letter in which he promised to delete any sexy or obscene scenes. Of course, only after he had my consent."

Umesh maintains that like Sridevi, he did not want the scene after he saw the film. Though Umesh's reasons for not wanting them were different from Sri's, naturally. "After I saw the film, I realised that since it was a fun-film, we could do without it. But fortunately, or unfortunately the distributors saw the trial simultaneously."

And Sridevi came to know of it. Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. Enraged, she sent a legal notice to both the producer and director. Umesh was shocked, furious, ever trifle amused. He recalls her father's plea, with great amusement. "It's laugh. It says that our daughter is of marriageable age and if people see this film, who will marry, her?"

However, since the plea has not had 'just funny' reactions, Umesh grows serious in seconds and lambasts Sridevi. "My film is unduly delayed already, otherwise I would have told her a few home truths in public. She's not called, 'Thunder Thighs' just like that. In Prakash's earlier film Masterji, she has exposed quite a deal. And let's not mention her South films. The less said the better."

Umesh finds her 'I don't expose' stand incredible. According to him Sridevi could not draw the line between her professional and personal life, from the onset. He opines, "Her double standards are unbelievable" and illustrates his point, "I remember a duet, I am bad girl. In front of dada (Mithun), she would be very firm about her straps being in place. But for her solo shots, she would lower her straps, unasked for." Emphasising on the unasked-for bit, he specifies, "Mind you, I would not even once tell her to do it."

By then the censors had passed both the scene and the film.

Considering that even the censors, did not find the scene objectionable, why is Sridevi so rankled by it. Umesh elaborates, "She wants it deleted more for personal rather than professional reasons." Though Umesh refuses to divulge the personal reasons, it's history now. During the making of the film, those lips kissing Mithun are not hers. The only times I have used duplicates in the film is when I have shown both the Sridevi's (she has a double role) together. But not for this scene. She's being funny when she says so."

Unable to fathom why Sridevi has taken this stance, Umesh asserts, "I don't know what's going wrong with her. Either it is her fame which has gone to her head or her bad days are coming. That's why she has gone to court."

Now that the matter awaits the verdict, Umesh is confident of getting through. "Tell me, if you were...

...at what he has done. He shot the scene on duplicates and without Madam's knowledge. Only when she was dubbing for the film she saw the scene and was shocked."

According to Hari Singh [Sridevi's PA], "They picturised the scene on duplicates and they promised to delete it. But when they didn't do so, even at the distribution screening, we realised their intentions. Madam and her family had no other alternative but to bring an injunction against the release of the film."

He denied any "personal reasons" being involved. "What personal reasons?" he feigned ignorance. "She's not unprofessional, if she was, then she would not have completed the dubbing of the film, till the scene was removed."

When reminded of all the revealing scenes, Sridevi has done in the past, making this one just another feather in her cap, Hari Singh (after consulting Sridevi) hastily added, "Those are things of the past. What is important is the present and future. Now Madam does not do such things. That's it."

Describing Umesh's allegations as "face-saving, and publicity-oriented", Hari Singh insisted that Sridevi's case was stronger, and the scene would be deleted.

The fate of Guru aside, what the controversy has established, it's a boon to have stars when they are in love with one another, there is more passion in the screen-romance, there are no date hassles, and the distributors are delighted.

But if the affair culminates, as it did, midway through the film, it's the beginning of a nightmare for the producer. Like a kiss gone sour...

Nilufer Qureshi 

UPDATE: The film was released with the offending scene cut - it also ended up being the biggest hit of Mithun-Sridevi combo of films. The two not only never worked together again, they never saw each other again thereafter.  

The making of Chandni: Throwback to August 1988

August 1988,
Showtime magazine

 

CHANDNI 

This is no moonlighting!

The Harbour Hall at the new Centaur at Juhu is a total mess. Blocks of wood, a carpenter's tools and a number of chairs are strewn around carelessly. 

Thinking that we have probably come to the wrong place, we backpedal swiftly... and almost bump into Sridevi who, along with her impressive entourage, have just entered the Harbour Hall behind us. 

Obviously she knows where Yash is hiding with his unit. Murmuring pleasantries, we wait for the entourage to pass by before tagging along at its end. Stepping gingerly over the mess on the floor, she makes her way to behind a screen that at first glance had seemed like the other end of the room. 

Ah, there he is! Yash Chopra and his entire unit, complete with camera, lights and a stunning constructed travel agency office. The art director has done one hell of a good job. If it was not for the lounging junior artistes who're relaxing in between shots, the set could have given the best travel agency in the city a run for its money. Sridevi's arrival seems like the cue that everybody was waiting for. The junior artistes rush to their positions as office staff and a few customers, while the assistant director shoos guests off the sets. Only Lata, Sridevi's sister, is allowed to sit on the fringes. While the cameraman gives last minute instructions to the light men and Sri touches up her make-up....

....the door is Sridevi's desk where she sits keeping her bag in a corner and adjusts a few papers. A couple of seconds later, her intercom buzzer goes off. She picks up the receiver, murmurs a no-nonsense "Yes sir", picks up a shorthand pad and goes into the room where Vinod has gone in earlier. A relatively simple shot which is canned after three takes. In her bright orange chiffon and stylish sunglasses Sridevi looks anything but a stereotype secretary. In between takes she laughs and chats with her director. From the nervous close-mouthed Amma who could only nod dumbly at simple questions to this beautiful confident actress is a transformation that is staggering. In the past six months Sridevi has lost about 10 kgs bringing her down from 65 kgs to 55 kgs. With her impressive height of 5 ft. 8 inches, she looks pencil slim. The shot over, the ramrod straight, heroine picks up her bag, turns an imperious eye towards Lata and calls, "Lata!" Instantly the little sister gets up and trots over to Sridevi. Once again the entourage in a single file exit to Sridevi's room till she's called for the next shot. The entire unit pauses for a second... 

Image Captions:

Top left photo caption: Seeing eye to eye Vinod Khanna and Sridevi

Bottom right photo caption: Yash Chopra making a (big) point with Sridevi, while Vinod Khanna is in-attentive

TBT: Sridevi with Boney Kapoor back in 2009

Sridevi and Boney Kapoor during her hiatus. English Vinglish was still years away, Judaai was years before... 

Just a pleasure for us Sridevi fans to see her out and about... 

How we miss those days... 

Rare pic: Sujata Mehta with Sridevi

 

Though she was four years, five months older than Sridevi, actress Sujata Mehta must have felt like a rank newcomer on the sets of Ramesh Sippy's Zameen, when she worked briefly with both Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. 

This rare, rare still from the sets of Zameen sets the status quo; Sridevi was already a mega star, and Sujata was just a few films old. Though she had a massive hit with Pratighaat, her first film, in 1987, success and hits at the box-office were very few and far between. Her filmography is all over the place. A good actor and theater veteran, luck was elusive when it came to films. 

Contemporaries: Sridevi, Sujata Mehta, Jaya Prada
Feb 1988, Cine Blitz

Sridevi's ad for Lux: 80s gloss and glamour!

The makeup, the glamour, the white turban, the accessorires, the statement earring, the glossy makeup... Sridevi's dazzling eyes, her perfect lips.. the face of Indian cinema, in an iconic ad for Lux. 

The image was shot by Rakesh Shreshta, styled by Neeta Lulla - circa 1989 - clever clogs and hardcore Sridevi observers will note, its the same earring, styling and shoot as a MOVIE magazine cover shoot from Sept 1989. 

Sridevi on the cover of International Cine Blitz

Photos by the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha. 

Golden gal Sridevi in Cine Blitz.