Gautam Rajadhyaksha's Sridevi centrefold

 

The late great photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha captures a pensive Sridevi in his library

The image appeared in both G magazine and Filmfare in the late 90s in Mumbai. 

Not many know that Sridevi really did wear eye-glasses. Not just for a shoot... 

Sridevi in white: Wearing Manish Malhotra, Wearing Sabyasachi

 Sridevi in white: Wearing Manish Malhotra, Wearing Sabyasachi 

Sridevi on the sets of Nagina

Sridevi on the sets of Nagina

Sridevi and Rishi Kapoor in the posters of the blockbuster film! 

Amitabh Bachchan presents Sridevi with her Best Actress Filmfare trophy

 

It's AB Senior's 84th birthday, but this is one of our fav pics of Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi together on stage. 

Sridevi won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her dual role as Anju and Manju in Chaalbaaz at the 35th Filmfare Awards. The ceremony took place in 1990 (honoring the films of 1989). 

She famously received her trophy on stage from Amitabh Bachchan. She was nominated twice in the Best Actress category that year - for both Chaalbaaz and Yash Chopra's Chandni - ultimately winning the trophy for Chaalbaaz. 

There were no sure-fires in the early days of Filmfare - now they are predictable as can be - but that night, the fact that Sridevi attended (a rarity), most of the audience knew it was Sridevi's year all the way. 

The year Lamhe was nominated for multiple awards, Yash Chopra, heart-broken by the press and lukewarm reception at the box-office did not even turn up for the award show, under the illusion that his movie wouldn't do well during the ceremony. Funnily enough Yash Chopra, a huge champion of the industry, attended every Filmfare show from the beginning. And the year his movie was nominated for nearly a dozen awards, he didn't leave his room. The governing board at the time handed out not one but five awards to the movie - much to the pleasure and delight of the surprised winner. It got Yash Chopra out of bed, Dilip Kumar famously went to visit him and ignited the fire yet again to make movies. And Yash Chopra went on to make Darr with Shahrukh Khan - and never looked back. He went on to make ONLY hits and blockbusters from then on, till his last film, the premonition-filled title, Jab Tak Hai Jaan. 

Indeed he worked till the very end. When he announced his retirement on stage on the eve of his swansong's release... the end was indeed nigh.  

Yash Chopra stated that his top three favourites of all-time were Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi  He said every star/actor had a limitation, only these three had infinite talent. Sridevi proved as much, Khan and Bachchan and continue to show till date, there are no limitations and "rest is rust" - so they keep workingo n passion projects, age be damned! 

Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi: Big B turns 84

 

Prep-publicity shoot leading up to Khuda Gawah, this photoshoot - by photographer Rakesh Shreshta - with Amitabh Bachchan, 48, and Sridevi, 28, in all white was a cover that many magazines shared - long before exclusive deals with star and celebrity was established by publishing houses.

Getting two of the biggest superstars together for a film was hard enough, for a magazine shoot? Near impossible, so clearly all the magazines shared the images. Albeit reluctantly. Which editor wouldn't like an exclkusive?! 

Those were the days. 

Thinking of Amitabh Bachchan today on his grand 84th birthday. 

Thinking of Sridevi daily as she only had 54 birthdays... 

The fates of many are written in the stars. Even of those who we consider superstars... 
 

Sridevi with Amitabh Bachchan in Aakhree Raasta

I keep hearing Aakhree Pasta thanks to Chunky Pandey's unfunny antics but its really Aakhree Raasta, - which had its 40th anniversary earlier this year. 

Above, rare photos taken on the sets of the film; Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan.  

Released on 6 June 1986, the film was a slow start... but is counted as one of Amitabh Bachchan’s hits.  If you look at the press around then, when the infamous media ban was going on, the press seemed to be reluctant to declare a Bachchan film a hit. Well, time proved, that it was a hit. Directed by filmmaker K. Bhagyaraj, the Hindi vigilante drama is a remake of the 1985 Tamil film Oru Kaidhiyin Diary, which Bhagyaraj scripted and which was originally directed by Bharathiraja starring Kamal Haasan.

The production faced unique challenges due to the language barrier; the original screenplay was translated into Hindi, but Bhagyaraj did not speak the language. Legend has it that every morning, Bachchan reviewed the script and asked the director to deliver dialogues in Tamil to verify emotional accuracy. Bhagyaraj would dramatically emote entire scenes for the cast’s benefit. On the first day of shooting, Bachchan tested the director by asking him to narrate a full scene; impressed by Bhagyaraj’s preparedness, the superstar proceeded confidently with the movie. 

Amitabh Bachchan played yet another double role as father David D’Costa and son Inspector Vijay. Notable casting curiosities include Jaya Prada portraying his mother despite being about 20 years younger than Big B, and Anupam Kher (his foster father) being over a decade younger than him. This marked Bachchan and Kher’s first collaboration. 

A memorable graveyard confrontation scene sparked debate. Bachchan worried a long English dialogue would alienate audiences, but Bhagyaraj insisted the intensity would transcend language. The scene became one of the film’s most cheered moments. During filming in extreme heat, Kher learned resilience from Bachchan, who remained unfazed.

Sridevi, playing Vijay’s girlfriend Vinita Bhatnagar, joined the project rather reluctantly and for new fans looking back at the film, its a surprise - she sounds so different and her role is so inconsequential. As she was still mastering Hindi at the time, her voice was dubbed by the one and only Rekha - a top star at that time who didn't need to take the gig! 

Even though both Jaya Prada and Sridevi were in the film - they appear in no scenes together; which worked out fine considering their complicated history and fractured relationship.  

Sridevi said later, "I did Aakhree Raasta only because I had already signed the producers other film Khabardaar, which got shelved. I did not back out because of my good relations with the team. In Aaakhree Raasta I had a small role but there was also Jaya Pradha. It would have made no difference if I was in the film or not. Today I would never accept such an offer even if it had Amitabh Bachchan in it. It's not that I become too big to do such films. I wouldn't mind doing a small role, as long as I'm the only heroine in the film!"

Well, Sridevi stuck to her guns and didn't work with Big B again for years until the double-role offer of Khuda Gawah. 

Often hailed as Bachchan’s last major release before his late-80s hiatus as he segued into politics, Aakhree Raasta delivered strong box-office returns (especially in South India and Maharashtra) and earned some acclaim for its gripping revenge drama and emotional depth. 

It remains a fan favourite for its raw intensity and memorable climax, but upon recent re-watch... it is not a Top Ten Big B film. Not even Top 25! 

Amitabh Bachchan has consistently bettered himself in film after film, role after role. There's a reason why he's often touted as the greatest Indian superstar of all-time. An actor of note, there seems to be no limitation to his prowess... he's the celebrity of celebrities. He's the touchstone of so many actors... what can we say of 'everlasting light'... that hasn't been said before. A fan then, now and forever. As we are of Sri! 

Sridevi with Rekha at the Premeire of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja back in 1993

 

On stage, a pic of the leading ladies of Bollywood at the grand - and I do mean GRAND - premiere of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja held in Mumbai back in April 16, 1993.

Sridevi, then 29, Rekha, then 38, were decked to the hilt for the lavish occasion as almost the entire industry turned up. Obviously we have dozens of pics in the archive here and here. 

Funnily enough, prescient Anil Kapoor, said to the press a month after, that he knew the night itself the fate of his home production,  'Superhit premiere, flop film..." . When you've been in the industry long enough, the stats don't need to be read in print, only on the faces of the industry. 

The media - there was a particularly vicious Cine Blitz cover story - tried to put their foot between the friendship between Sridevi and Rekha, and tried to poison their ears - we can look back on several leading questions that tried to agitate one or the other. As time proved, the two South Indian superstars  were friends from beginning to tragic end. Rekha herself anointed Sridevi her successor early on - and has consistently, year after year, praised Sridevi as an actor, star and talent. If she poked a little fun at Sri, Sridevi took it on the chin - and gave back in turn too. Nothing broke their bond. 

Sridevi has been nothing but respectful to her senior - watch the Filmfare clip of Sridevi winning her Best Actress Filmfare award for Chaalbaaz - and the first person she greets after the win is Rekha. 

TBH Rekha has mostly maintained her relationship with her seniors, contemporaries, successors and juniors with a lot of affection - some have taken her generosity it in the spirit intended, others, not so much. 

As Rekha turns a year older today, we state again for the record, Rekha is the greatest Indian actress alive today. It's only the incompetent industry that can't come up with  decent script worthy of her oceanic talent. She proves herself time and again on stage, in reality shows, on film, in magazines, in photoshoots, interviews and covers... All her critics have ceased relevance. Rekha's stardom remains undiminished.