Sridevi in New Delhi

In a floral print blouse, gorgeous Sridevi in New Delhi while promoting English Vinglish back in 2012. 

Sridevi on the cover of Sushma magazine in the late 80s

Sridevi on the cover of Sushma magazine in the late 80s. 

Her head cradled in a pink turban, these images from a shoot Gautam Rajadhyaksha did were spread across magazines in the late 80s, and early 90s. You can see them in our archives here. 

The Nagin story re-told: Again and Again. And then again.

 

Well, Shradha Kapoor is slithering into the character of a Naagin in a planned three-film deal. Odious comparisons have already begun, but the role doesn't belong to anyone as several incarnations have littered Bollywood film history. There have been several Bonds, Batmen, Spidermen... and there can certainly be several Naagins. Who your favourite is depends on the era you are most fond of. 

Sridevi did it most successfully - nothing beats the box-office record of Nagina - but before her Vyjanthimala, Rekha, Reena Roy did their versions of the Naagin role - after Sridevi, Meenakshi Sheshadiri, Mandakini and Mallika Sherawat have tried their hand at it too. 

Results varied but even Sridevi couldn't recreate the success of her own film in Nigahein - Nagina Part II... 

G'luck to Shradha tho'. She was/is a Sridevi fan... 

Heads up to the makers ; it isn't about the special effects or the money, time and effort spent on CGI, it was the thriller aspect, a gripping pace that made Nagina a blockbuster - along with great music, choreography, novelty, unpredictability and A-list actors filling in parts small and big. The movie might have been carried by Sridevi, but it needed a foil like Rishi Kapoor, a villain like Amrish Puri, the crescendo of Main Teri Dushman... 

Let's see... 

Sridevi as Pooja in Lamhe (1991)

 

Sridevi as Pooja in Lamhe (1991). With Anil Kapoor in London below. 

Sridevi montage of rare pics from the 1980s!

Sridevi on the sets of several films dotted around the 1980s. Can you list them all below?

Some rare pics here! 

Gorgeous Sridevi. 

 

Sridevi portrait by photographer Dabboo Ratnani

Sridevi portrait by photographer Dabboo Ratnani. The blue is the original picture taken, the green, a fan edit on social media. Something we sort of like... at least its not some hideous over processed fan fiction via pixels, just a little fine tuning. 

Rare Pics: Smita Patil with Sridevi in Nazrana (1987)

Rare Pics: Smita Patil with Sridevi in Nazrana (1987)  Released after the tragic and untimely passing of the Smita Patil at age 31, the melodrama was a hit at the box-office. Sridevi was still in her early 20s when she shot the film and Smita Patil took her under her wing, especially when Rajesh Khanna was being difficult on set. After the experience, Sridevi never worked with Khanna again. 

Sridevi has rarely spoken ill about anyone in media, with only slight hints at her displeasure given to print. She stated that she was always nervous when working with petulant Rajesh Khanna as you never knew what mood he was going to be in. Hmm. 

BTW yes, Sridevi had a darker foundation on for the scenes above - if you've seen the film you know why... Um. More on the brown face controversy can read here in CNN. com