Rare pic of teenage Sridevi

 

Sridevi in the mid 1980s in Bollywood: Heir Apparent

Ok, so not all the styling was a win.. 

But it was the 80s. And we all survived it. 

Still gorgeous. 

Now and forever, Sridevi 

Sridevi and Rajinikanth in Johnny (1980): Iconic scene in an iconic Tamil film

Such an iconic Tamil film. And such iconic stars... 

Johnny. 

Since the release of Jigra, Gumrah has been trending! Alia Bhatt is good, frequently great: but she's no Sridevi!

Well, both films are Dharma Productions but suddenly, out of the blue this week, we noted a spike in views of Gumrah images of Sridevi and Sanjay Dutt the weekend of Jigra's release (with Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina)! 

Alia, Manish, Sridevi

Hmm haven't seen Jigra yet but the prison-break tale of an unfair drug-bust arrest where the lead is sentenced to death by electric chair (Gumrah was death by shooting!), where the other lead has to rescue the innocent by hook or by crook... seems to follow familiar if not similar beats. The treatment of the film is very different from the 90s hit (and trust, Gumrah was a hit film) and the movie is different... but clearly, many are finding it a bit of a deja vu.. 

Well, as good as Alia is... she's no Sridevi! At the peak of Sridevi's career, she could open a film as well as any of her male counterparts. As this weekend has proven, Ms Bhatt-Kapoor hasn't been able to bring in the audiences en mass on her own steam, despite a formidable backing. This isn't taking shots at Alia--we love her really--but stardom of pan-Indian scope cannot be programmed or engineered, it sort of just happens to the few and the fated. 

On the plus side, hopefully more eyes will see Sridevi's incredible performance. 

Below: Alia Bhatt receiving her Best Actress award for Udta Punjab from 'the great Sridevi!'. 

Young Sridevi

 Sridevi, 20. 

Anyone know which film this look is from?! 

Sridevi with the cast and crew of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja: Sridevi with the cast and crew of English Vinglish

The team of English Vinglish at TIFF 2012

The last shooting schedule of Roop Ki Rani back in 1993

A film runs on collective merit.  Reflect on the number of times Sridevi has credited a film or a song's success to the director, choreographer, singer, story-writer, always self-aware and steady in crediting where credit's due. 

Funny how most of the current superstars of Bollywood seem to forget that; although they pay lip service to it. Look at the wide chasm of pay scale between film stars and the writers, lyricist, musicians, choreographers, cinematographers. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Krishna and Sridevi: Telugu cine-icons

 Krishna with Sridevi 

 Telugu cine-icons 

 Sridevi looks so sweet here...