Thursday 7 April 2022

Happy 80th Birthday Jeetendra: A milestone year for a blockbuster hero

For a certain gen, the joy of Bollywood was simply the light-hearted technicolour dreams sold by Jeetendra-Sridevi movies as they were dancing up a storm in Madras for a pan-Indian audience. 

One of Sridevi's most frequent co-stars, they were the box-office darlings of the 1980s with more hits than flops, more rewards than awards, more fun than fashion. They looked like they were having a good time making those comedies and melodramas - so the audience enjoyed it too. 

Today, the white-pants white-boots screen/fashion icon Jeetendra turns 80; a milestone year. We wish the actor good health and happiness. 

Jeetendra was always one of the prudent stars in the industry who invested well and created an empire in film and television. Long before the Khans and Kumars, with his palatial residence and production houses, he (and his family) remain wealthy, powerful and relevant - long after his contemporaries bit the dust. 

The critics didn't love him - despite quite a few decent performances, esp in Gulzar's films - but Jeetendra didn't care as he entertained the nation for years, if not the handful of type writers (intended). Ektaa Kapoor, his outspoken eldest daughter, did say in interviews, wish the industry had honoured the work he did but do these trophies and trinkets really matter? He remains the nucleolus as an entertainment industry runs around his orbit. 

We've archived all the Sridevi and Jeetendra related images and film information here


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