Chaalbaaz (1989): Sridevi brings the lols with Rajinikanth: Action with Sunny Deol: Double Role

Grab the DVD and get a clear - the clearest - copy of Chaalbaaz (1989) immediately to see an actress in impeccable form; Sridevi. 

The entire cast is brilliant in this mad-cap movie. It was crazy-funny and it was one of the most stylishly edited flicks. Sridevi deserved all the awards for Chaalbaaz and thank God she finally got her first Filmfare for a Hindi film in 1990, to cap off a decade Sridevi ruled in Bollywood. 

She beat out the competition; herself for an equally splendorous performance in Chandni. Yash Chopra mentioned in an interview that she should have been awarded for this not that - but why quibble? 

But what's better than Sridevi? Two Sridevis! Obviously.

 

Rajinikanth, Sridevi and Sunny Deol in Chaalbaaz (1989)

Excerpt from Filmfare magazine:

SRIDEVI

There are roles that you´ve got to work on and then there are roles which sort of grab you by the scruff of your neck, holding you in the vice-like grip of its sheer potential. Sridevi´s dual turn in Chaalbaaz is one such performance. Sure it´s an unabashed comedy-drama and it´s been done twice before once by Hema Malini in Seeta Aur Geeta and the male version by Dilip Kumar (Ram Aur Shyam) but Sridevi infuses a certain quirkiness that adds new sauce to the old as pasta formula. 

While she plays Manju with a certain offhand madness, she portrayed Anju with a kind of neurotic quivery personality thus totally separating the two. Sridevi´s penchant for giggles and her ability to look distinctly tearful when required polishes these performances to perfection. Hell, she made Sunny Deol and Rajnikanth look like sidekicks in the film. 

Also memorable are her bravura acts in Lamhe and Sadma.