Editor Dinesh Raheja on getting the casting coup of the decade, Aamir Khan with Sridevi

Aamir Khan turns 57 today - so an opportune time to repost this behind the scenes tale when Sridevi posed with Aamir for a unique magazine cover shoot. Sri was 26, Aamir was 24 - together they were magical. 

 

HAPPY TO BE RUDE

I was a pushover till ...

Excited to be appointed as the editor of MOVIE magazine, I wanted to begin with a splash. So I approached overnight sensation Aamir and reigning diva Sridevi to pose jointly ...and surprise surprise they agreed! I was ecstatic.

MOVIE had recently appointed a new duo of expensive designers (read that as SOBO snobs). When we came back from the darkroom after seeing the fab pics, they announced, "We have decided to go with a Sridevi solo cover." 

After recovering from their salvo, I politely but vehemently underlined that as the Editor I would be the one to decide who will be on the cover. But they began discussing the details of the solo cover with each other as if I weren't present in the room. 

One of them had a big nose (like Pinocchio) so I angrily shot back, 'You keep your big nose out of it." And she was left gaping open-mouthed -- the duo backed off with their tails between their legs!

It was the one time I was happy I was rude.

Editor Dinesh Raheja.

Stardom = Sridevi

Reporter Anupama Chopra on what happened behind the scenes, adds further colour, "I remember meeting her [Sridevi] again at a photo-shoot for Movie magazine. It was my first job as a film journalist. Once again, we were at the Centaur, shooting her and Aamir Khan together for the cover. I remember whispering something to my editor Dinesh Raheja about how a certain pose or angle would look better. She noticed our interaction. She asked exactly what was wanted and then proceeded to deliver. I was gobsmacked. This, I concluded, is what stardom looks like!

Anupama Chopra

In Love with Sridevi

"I've been an absolutely huge fan of Sridevi. She was my number 1 favourite. I told Boney [Kapoor] fairly recently that when I was new in the industry, a magazine asked me to do a shoot with Sridevi. I can't tell you how nervous I was in my heart. I was so afraid that when I would come in front of her, she would understand in two seconds that this boy is in love with her. I was smitten, totally."

Aamir Khan