Sridevi and Sunny Deol in the costume drama Sultanat (1986): Bollywood extravaganza with Juhi Chawla, Karan Kapoor Dharmendra

Sridevi and Sunny Deol in the epic costume drama Sultanat - a film that started production around 1984, but finally released in 1986. 

Early days of Sridevi's stint in Bollywood, where her voice was dubbed in the film, as Sri was a newcomer still coming to grips with yet another alien language to her, Hindi. The movie was a wild costume caper, Sridevi as a princess kidnapped by Sunny Deol, who she eventually falls in love with. Not a spoiler - its just highly predictable Bollywood fare - and really, the posters pretty much gave it away!

Gorgeous songs by RD Burman and stunning dances by Sridevi; esp Jaanu Jaanam Jaaneman , Yaara Dilbar Dildaara, Kya hoon main. Movie fared average at the box-office - the long production and high costs and an A-list (highly paid) star-cast meant the movie had to run for long to make a decent profit margin. Which it didn't.

The images of Sridevi as princess were plastered throughout the nation and Sri's sensuous costumes were talked about. The bold and the beautiful actress was imperious and stunning in the film as the spoilt royal. She looked beautiful throughout the caper - which is great fun to watch on the big-screen - like all Mukul Anand movies were (he wrote and directed the film). 

Mukul Anand was greatly impressed with the professionalism and talent of newcomer Sridevi - who he worked with just as she was establishing herself in Hindi films. By the time the film released, she was already the biggest female film star in India. The director went on to sign her for another film C.I.D. with Rajesh Khanna - however that project got shelved. Nearly a decade later, Mukul Anand and Sridevi worked together in the epic box-office blockbuster Khuda Gawah in 1992. Plans were on for another film with Sridevi - but unfortunately the director died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 45 (on 7 September 1997). He was on location for the multi-starcast action film Dus in Utah. Though the movie was never released, the music was - and it was a major hit. 

Sultanat poster!