Rajinikanth and Sridevi in the Tamil film Vanakkatukuriya Kathaliye (1978)

 

Rajinikanth and Sridevi in the Tamil film Vanakkatukuriya Kathaliye (1978)

Sridevi was just 15 back then and her famed co-star, Rajnikanth was 29. 

Tabloid darlings Sridevi and Mithun

Tabloid darlings Sridevi and Mithun

Sridevi in Tamil cinema: ICON

 Sridevi in Tamil cinema: ICON

Sridevi on the sets of Sadma: Rare Stills

Sridevi on the sets of Sadma: Rare Still

Sridevi as a child artist in the Telugu film Naa Thammudu (1971)

 Sridevi as a child artist in the Telugu film Naa Thammudu (1971) 

Sridevi and N. T. Rama Rao in the Telugu film Satyam Sivam (1981)

Sridevi, 18, and  N. T. Rama Rao, 58, in the Telugu film Satyam Sivam (1981) 

The Telugu remake of the Rekha - Amitabh Bachchan Hindi smash Suhaag (which was the biggest hit of 1979), the 40 year age gap was... strange then, improbably now. 

BTW the film also had Rati Agnihotri, 21, with co-star Akkineni Nageswara Rao, 58. 

Gorgeous Sridevi in Khuda Gawah: The Highest Paid Indian Actress of her Time

Gorgeous Sridevi in Khuda Gawah: With sari-clad ease, Sridevi was 'the' pioneering Indian actress who got equal billing, higher pay and equal footage and screen-presence while her contemporaries kowtowed to four songs, three scenes and a mangalsutra-clutching moment of teary-eyed agony. Sridevi was no flag carrying feminist. She just was. 

While Anupama Chopra has referred to Sridevi often as 'the great Sridevi," I beseech you to take it further. Her excellency; Sridevi.