Sridevi: Extraordinary at playing the ordinary

Fact is, Sridevi's entire life has been in the realm of fame and good fortune- from the get-go. New gen has no idea, the power and the persona of Sridevi in the early days - she was this young, gorgeous actress whose fame went beyond borders. The early fandom she had, particularly in Tamil cinema, is nothing we can compare to today. She was a star as a child - the most famous cine-icons and legends of Tamil cinema knew her by name and precocious gifts. 

How she played the part of an ordinary person (she was often a Goddess, princess, royalty, dacoit, shape-shifter - something extraordinary) ... is somehow miraculous. She played an office secretary, or housewife, village belle... when she rarely encountered them. Her life revolved around sets, six days a week, morning till 6pm, and her "ordinary" life ceased being normal when her fame grew beyond expectation as a child, when she already won regional, state awards. How often was she in an office? What was ordinary about her setting and environs? Her world wasn't real, it was surreal; fake sets, characters in costume and the magical alchemy of art, commerce, science and tech - that brought the pretend world to life on screen. Her talent was a testament to the powers of her observation and study and understanding of the human condition that she played parts with ease and without artifice.  

Sridevi lived in rarefied air. She was an extraordinary talent who made the ordinary so aspirational and gorgeous. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Better India (@thebetterindia)

Divya Bharti and Sridevi: The Swimsuit Scandal

Be it the 80s with Sridevi or the 90s with Divya Bharthi, there was always a gratuitous shot of the heroine, appearing drenched in a swimsuit for a random scene or another. An exact decade separates the shots (and the ladies; Sridevi was 10 and a half years older than Divya). The press had a field day with the shots of the leading ladies in "revealing costumes" as the expression went. Now what exactly does one wear to the beach or pool in free India?!

Sridevi's Eid wishes: And the Ghibli version

 Sridevi's Eid: And the Ghibli version 

The real pic vs the fake, AI manipulated ones of Sridevi. AI pics will soon be illegal. We hope!

Sridevi

 

Oh the 1980s were a strange time in Bollywood for fashion and photoshoots. Still, Sridevi looks very pretty here...

Sridevi

Sridevi in the Telugu film... anyone recognise the look? Which movie? Which year? Kindly comment below. 

 

Sridevi in Laadla: Another Feather in Her Cap

Released on 17 Mar 1994, Laadla was a blockbuster from the get-go. Sure Anil Kapoor had the title role, but its Sridevi's iconic, over-the-top quasi negative role as Sheetal Jaitley that most remember. It earned her yet another Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Often credited with carrying the otherwise ordinary 90s Bollywood film, in the lens of 2026, the film is fabulous, flawed... fabulously flawed! 

Sridevi got high praise (Yash Chopra for one loved it), and mimicking her signature tagline in the film--You understand, you better understand--became a viral trend long before the invention of Instagram.  

1. Sreehari Nair (film critic), Rediff.com – "The VERY BEST of Sridevi" article, 10 July 2017
   "It's a character and a movie salvaged only by Sridevi's performance." He further elaborated on her inventive approach to an otherwise "trashy role.") "Sridevi doesn't try to embalm a trashy role, she plays trash like trash. She has an irony about the whole thing; she's too inventive and doesn't merely perform the rituals. When she struts and snaps her finger hard, we get it: She is too big for the role." 
2. Raveena Tandon (co-star, who played Kajal), Times of India interview – 25 March 2022 (on the film's 28th anniversary)
   "'Laadla was an amazing, very special film for me and working with Sridevi and Anil Kapoor was a lifetime experience which I always cherish.'"
3. Aneez Bazmee (screenwriter), interview with Komal Nahata – referenced in The Indian Express article, 25 March 2024 (on the film's 30th anniversary)
   "No one would have played the role better than Sridevi." (He added that the team rewrote scenes specifically "to complement Sridevi’s acting prowess and strength as an actor.")

These quotes highlight why Sridevi's fierce, campy, and larger-than-life portrayal remains the film's standout element decades later, even as the movie itself is often called over-the-top or messy. 
After a row of flops, the cast needed a hit. And they got a big one!