Now and then: Sridevi

Sridevi in 1989, Sridevi in 2012. 

An outtake from MOVIE magazine's cover shoot from the 80s, Sridevi in Toronto during promotions and premiere of English Vinglish in 2012. 

Sridevi with Boney Kapoor

From Cine Blitz in the early 2000s, Sridevi with Boney Kapoor. 

Sridevi and headgear: Over-the-top accessories in the 1980s, 90s

 

Sridevi and headgear: Over-the-top accessories in the 1980s, 90s

Glamorous, gorgeous cover girl: Sridevi: TBT to 1989

Sridevi on the cover of MOVIE magazine back in Sept 1989 - and an outtake of that cover shoot -- film magazine exclusives were yet to be entrenched -- in the Hindi tabloid Kingstar! Sad that both magazines no longer exist as print media in India, particularly film journalism in magazine forma, circles the drain. 

Neeta Lulla styed these shoots and the images were taken by ace celebrity photographer Rakesh Shreshta. 

Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan: An Age Gap Ignored in Inquilaab

High-def cameras on television and film are not celebrity-friendly! Bring back the soft filters and fog lights!

It's really clear on the big screen when there's a massive age gap between stars. Now, with high-def TV, it's also clear at home—no wonder many celebrities famously request filters.

This high-def screengrab of Sridevi with Amitabh Bachchan in their first film together, Inquilaab (1984)—successful as it was—makes the age gap suddenly, vividly clear.

Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942; Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963. The difference between them is 20 years and about 11 months. Their on-screen pairings, like in Khuda Gawah (1992), where the gap was noted as around 21 years at the time (Amitabh ~50, Sridevi ~29), or in Inquilaab (around 20+ years: Amitabh ~41–42, Sridevi ~20–21), have been mentioned in online reviews and film writing, features, analysis and journals.

Age gaps between senior actors and increasingly younger actresses are so common in Bollywood even today that no one bats an eye. A few self-proclaimed feminists will rant online and on social media, to absolutely no effect. Hell, the MeToo movement in Bollywood and Indian cinema created headlines but brought about nominal, verifiably little change despite all the rooftop soapbox yelling. All the accused may have gone off radar for a while, but seem to be back at work once again and making their money with full employment and little to no recourse. 

The fact of the matter is that change in Bollywood only comes about when there's monetary impact; if it affected the box office, things would evolve rapidly. If the audience boycotted actors who have been accused of heinous crimes, or boycotted uncomfortable age gaps, the industry would do a 180 on its own. Market forces would force improvements. Until then, you'll see Salman Khan romancing Disha Patani, despite their age gap of 27 years!

Funny how the tables have never turned. a mature leading lady with a younger male co-star has never really caused ripples. A 20-year age gap between stars would be, for example, Madhuri Dixit and a contemporary star today would be—if she were working in a film with Tiger Shroff, Varun Dhawan, or Kartik Aaryan—but would it ever happen?! Would be unthinkable to most film producers bar none

Remember the fuss the media made when the divine Aishwarya Rai Bachchan worked with Ranbir Kapoor in Ae Dil Hai Mushqil and old hacks like RS brought it up in interviews?! Trying to get a response from the unfazed Rai-Bachchan?! Ash was nearly 9 years older, but looked phenomenal in the film, styled to perfected by the Dharma crew. Since then, we see no signs of older actrresses with younger co-stars. 

Sridevi in Telugu cinema

 

Young Sridevi, 18, in the Telugu smash hit Devatha. 

Sridevi