Rare stills of Sridevi and Jackie Shroff in Jawab Hum Denge (1987)

Rare stills of Sridevi and Jackie Shroff in Jawab Hum Denge (1987)

Jackie Shroff, Amrish Puri, ? Shatrughan Singha and Sridevi 

Sridevi as a cop on film - for the second time. 

Anil Kapoor remembers Judaai fondly: Sridevi, Urmila and Anil's surprise smash hit

Anil Kapoor tweets: 

The decision to do Judaai was not an easy one for me at the time, but I’m so glad that I chose to do it! I was paired with two beautiful leading ladies - Sri and Urmila, and I still remember how nervous I was ,dancing with Sri ji & Urmila as they both are such incredible dancers

26 years later today, when I think about the film and all the memories I made I always have a smile on my face!

Feb 28, 2023

Sridevi outside a film set: Sri's golden look for the song Aaj Radha Ko

Sridevi outside a film set: Sri's golden look for the song Aaj Radha Ko from the film Chand Ka Tukda.  Sri absolutely loved this gold creation that she wore many times for stage shows. 

We have 100s of pics of Sridevi in this look in the archive - scroll back. 

Rare pics of Sridevi with the cast and crew of Chandni (1989)

Rishi Kapoor, Sridevi, Yash Chopra and Pamela Chopra on the sets of Chandni (1989)

Choreographer Saroj Khan, Yash Chopra and Sridevi 

Sridevi and producer/director Yash Chopra 

 Rare pics of Sridevi with the cast and crew of Chandni (1989). 

 Love, love, love finding these vintage gems from the archives, especially of Sridevi in Chandni - the absolute zenith of her epic beauty, talent, fashion and infinite gifts so beautifully honed by the maestro that was Yash Chopra, who defines the Bollywood musical like few others. 

Watching The Romantics on Netflix made me so nostalgic... even beyond the romances, Yash Chopra was a truly gifted director who covered the gamut of genres, his oeuvre was greater than the chiffon sari red roses soft focus songs shot in Switzerland. The grit, the mystery, the violence, the dramas... he really did them all exceptionally well. In my humble estimation, he was the most versatile Indian film director... of all time. 

Sridevi: Milestones

 

Two images of Sridevi for a feature on Indian cinema. 

Sridevi

Happy Birthday Shahid Kapoor: Sridevi fan

Happy Birthday Shahid Kapoor: Sridevi fan. Seen here dancing up a storm with Sri at IIFA in Macau back in 2013. 

Shahid Kapoor's birthday on Feb 25, 2018 came the day it was announced that Sridevi had passed.. 

Like a gentleman, he cancelled all his birthday plans and said, today is not a day to party, its a day to remember an icon of Indian cinema who was taken from us.

A fine actor and incredible dancer, my level of respect for Shahid Kapoor as a person levelled up. 

What a gem.

Happy Birthday Shahid Kapoor. 

 

Happy Birthday Divya Bharthi: 49th Birth Anniversary

Happy Birthday Divya Bharthi: 49th Birth Anniversary.

Linked together in so many ways... Alas. 

 

 

Filmfare's Tribute to Sridevi: Lifetime Achievement Award

Filmfare's Tribute to Sridevi: Lifetime Achievement Award

 

Google remembers Sridevi: Trending Online

Ya know there are some desis in Google. Esp those who grew up watching Sridevi. 

The trending #; #RememberingSridevi } which we do religiously daily. 

Bhardwaj Rangan: Devi… Sridevi…: Remembering Sridevi on her death anniversary

A Madras boy remembers the actress, the star who could do everything every kind of director wanted her to do. Bhardwaj Rangan. 

Growing up in the seventies and eighties, in Madras, meant you grew up with Sridevi. Actors and actresses, those days, made a ton of movies a year, working in multiple shifts, across multiple languages. So Sridevi was everywhere in Tamil and Telugu cinema. There wasn’t a number system those days. At least in the south Indian press, titles like “Queen Bee” or “Numero Uno” did not exist. 

In the sixties, Saroja Devi was a top actress, and so were Savithri and Jayalalitha. In the seventies, Sridevi was popular, and so was Sripriya. “Popular,” those days, meant they starred in many films with up-and-comer young stars like Kamalahasan (the spelling change to “Kamal Haasan” was a while away) and Rajinikanth.

But Sridevi was special. It was a time Tamil cinema was changing. Directors like P. Bharathiraja, J. Mahendran and Balu Mahendra — even K Balachander, whose seventies’ style is markedly more “cinematic” than what he did in the preceding decade — were finding ways of expression that were different from those of melodrama monarchs like P Bhimsingh. And Sridevi fit into that mould as well. She fit into every mould, really. In Hindi cinema, they called her the ultimate “switch-on, switch-off” actress. That must have been true, for she certainly did not have a great deal of life experience to draw from, having grown up in the studios, in front of the cameras from when she was a child.

In Hindi cinema, they called her the ultimate “switch-on, switch-off” actress. That must have been true, for she certainly did not have a great deal of life experience to draw from, having grown up in the studios, in front of the cameras from when she was a child.

Sridevi in Adhutha Varisu 

Perhaps her greatest gift was that she gave each director what they wanted. If Bharathiraja, in 16 Vayathinile (1977), wanted her to do nothing more than stand still, conveying sadness through her eyes (they were big, beautiful eyes) as his camera zoomed in, she did that. If Balachander, in Varumayin Niram Sivappu (1980), wanted her to mimic S Janaki’s wordless musical phrases in the Sippi irukkuthu song sequence, she did that — she was a marvellous “song performer,” which is its own kind of acting. And she did what S.P. Muthuraman asked of her in Adutha Varisu (1983), where Rajinikanth tries to pass her off as the heiress to a province. The sceptical queen quizzes her about the state symbol. She throws her head back and laughs exaggeratedly (she’s saying, through that laugh, “Surely you don’t expect me to not know the answer to this!”), buying time till Rajinikanth gestures to the lion carving above the queen’s throne. She collects herself and gives the right answer.

It’s not easy, this kind of acting. The passing of Sridevi is a good time to dwell on “Indian commercial film acting.” It’s dying out in the north because everyone wants to make real films, with naturalistic performances that seem to be the only kind that get appreciated anymore, and it’s dying out in the south because mainstream Tamil and Telugu cinema is filled with actresses who don’t speak the language and are required to do very little. This kind of performance has less to do with Stanislavsky than the Natyashastra, the navarasas — which may explain why so many actresses of that era were such good dancers as well. There was a touch of the gestural, the performative. Nothing was internalised, or even if it was, there had to be something declarative, something the audience could not just feel but also see — say, a tiny twitch of the lip.

Trained actors cannot do this kind of acting, which is a direct (a trained actor may call it “shameless”) appeal to the audience’s emotions. Yes, some of this has to be seen in the context of the films that were being made, and their style, but that is why Kamal Haasan called Sridevi an excellent bag of tricks. She had a bottomless bag, apparently, and she could pull out whatever “trick” whichever director wanted. One cannot speak of Sridevi without speaking about Kamal. Like the tagline in the Wills ads, they were Made for Each Other, one bag of tricks constantly up against the other. If he did that Methody, mumbly thing he began to do from around the time he made Kokila (1977), she threw something actorly right back at him. Theirs wasn’t chemistry. It was electricity.

Oh, the songs they made together. Ilankiliye from Shankarlal (1981). Devi Sridevi from Vaazhve Maayam (1982). Look at Radha Radha nee enge from Meendum Kokila (1981). He’s goofing around, a Krishna in a silver jacket and a fedora from which a peacock feather sticks out. She matches him step for step. It isn’t easy matching Kamal Haasan step for step. Vadivelan manasu vechan from Thai Illamal Naanillai (1979). Seen today, perhaps some of these songs come with a “you had to have been there” warning label, but I’m talking about a certain kind of unembarrassed commitment to the goings on, where the actor says, “Okay, so this is what I have to do, and maybe it’s something I personally wouldn’t do, but I’m going to do my darndest to make everyone believe that this really is me.” Acting, in other words.

Then, she went to Bombay, where the press was more ready with labels. She was anointed “Numero Uno.” But something seemed different to those of us from the south. Here, she was cute. There, she was “cute.” There’s a difference. She seemed to be more plasticky, the nose looked different, the voice was squeaky and didn’t fit. None of this is to say she still wasn’t great. She was just great in a very different way. The films relied more on her glamour, her outsize-ness — and again, she dug into that bag of tricks and gave exactly what her directors wanted. 

Sometimes, like in Mr. India (1987), magic happened. I admit this may be a very “southern” reaction, rising from a sense of ours becoming theirs. Tamil and Telugu cinema still needed her. What was she doing jumping around with Jeetendra? But her mind was made. When she did return, for the one-off Naan Adimai Illai (1986) with Rajinikanth, it wasn’t like a homecoming. It was like a queen on a state visit.

She went on to become the next in a line of south Indian actresses who became the leading heroine in Hindi cinema. Her most memorable role? I’d still pick Moondram Pirai (1982), and my favourite scene is the one where Kamal gives her a sari and drifts off into a reverie, expecting this amnesiac with the mental faculties of a little girl to have magically transformed into a woman. Ilayaraja sets up the mood with a languorous piano duetting with violins. Sridevi steps out of the room, the sari perfectly draped. She does everything Kamal wants her to. She’s sophisticated. She’s romantic. She’s in control. She’s even motherlike, drawing his head to her bosom, giving him milk from a glass. Then he snaps out of it, and sees that she’s tied the sari all wrong. She’s still the little-girl amnesiac. The scene showcases everything Sridevi was, the child-woman, the aloof and unattainable beauty, the seductress, the idealised (and idolised) star.

Bhardwaj Rangan,
Critic of Film Companion South, 2018

On the eve of Sridevi's death anniversary, in advance, her family posts: Remembering Sridevi

Sridevi's passing was a shock to a nation, let alone her immediate family, that the news didn't register for hours. 

As we hit the five-year death anniversary of the icon's tragic passing, social media is lit with remembrances of iconic Indian actress Sridevi. Starting with, of course, her immediate family. 

Sridevi's husband, film producer Boney Kapoor, her children, actress Janhvi Kapoor and youngest daughter Khushi Kapoor, and family members posted the following images and pics this past week. Some rare pics of Sridevi from the family album, and others well-known to many of us hardcore Sridevi fanatics. 

When the news hit on Feb 25, 2018, for hours we didn't believe the news (we still don't at heart...) but when the Prime Minister of India himself posted a condolence message on his official social media... the shattering truth sunk in. 

Even her passing adds to her legend. The circumstances, the bizarre nature of her demise, her fame magnified and for years to come, she'll inspire fan fiction in the form of conspiracy theories and illogical and false narratives. 

There is only one truth; she was taken from us far too soon. 

TBT: Sridevi in her first Hindi blockbuster: Himmatwala (1983)

TBT: Sridevi in her first Hindi blockbuster: Himmatwala (1983)

The costumes, the songs and dances, the 80s makeup and costume jewellery... It was Sridevi that shone through - and never looked back as the film clicked in as the biggest hit of the year. 

 

TBT: Sridevi in Bollywood in the mid '80s

TBT: Sridevi in Bollywood in the mid '80s

 

Sridevi gif: Gorgeous as Heer in Heer Ranjha

  Sridevi gif. 

  Tomorrow will be the death anniversary... 

Sridevi and Jennifer Aniston: Same same, but different: Wearing Manish Malhotra

Srdevi wearing her perennial favourite Manish Malhotra at an event, Jennifer Aniston wearing Manish Malhotra in her upcoming Netflix film. 

Same same… but different non?! 

When Western celebrities wear saris, its usually a mistake. Just can't get the elegant drape right. Far easier to wear a lehenga-choli - a skirt and blouse really - that's easier to don and walk around in, without tripping all over and constantly clutching fabric for dear life. 

Aniston looks great in it. A great select, understated and beautiful. 

Sridevi looks regal. 

Queen of Bollywood. 

Sridevi in and as Malini Iyer (2004)

Sridevi, 41, in and as Malini Iyer (2004) - the only sitcom and television show she did. 

Talk about wasted opportunity. As divine as she looked and well-acted, the poorly executed "comedy" couldn't sustain viewership after huge initial ratings. Sadly, the show came at a time with sitcoms and Indian TV was not good, let alone great. 

If she had entered in the era of Netflix and polished OTT platform work, would have been another story...

Sridevi mentioned in an interview that she didn't enjoy the experience and there were certain financial reasons she signed up for the Sahara TV show. After the show was not picked up for Season 2, Sri heaved a sigh of relief. 

She returned to movies much later in 2012 - back where she belonged, ruling the big screen. 

 

Sridevi in and as Chaand Kaa Tukdaa (1994)

 Sridevi in and as Chaand Kaa Tukdaa (1994). 

And this is news even to us; the film was not that big a dud... who knew?! 

Royally written off as a massive flop, the Salman Khan and Sridevi starrer was absolutely hated by critics and... TBH... even most hardcore Sridevi and Salman fans could barely finish watching the long yawn... er, yarn.

Let's give credit to their cumulative star power, the initial draw helped the producers and distributors as the movie broke even - in fact, it even recovered some money in certain pockets. Made in a budget of Rs2.75 crore, at final tally, the movie made Rs3.88 crore back in the summer of 1994. 

A huge sum back then. Now of course those numbers seem miniscule; Salman Khan alone makes about Rs220 crore a year these days (according to online reports)! 

Sridevi and Shahrukh Khan: Uniting on stage

With the continued and staggering success of Pathaan, the box-office shattering figures that keep getting reported weekly thus far, thought we'd re-post these images of Sridevi with Shahrukh Khan. 

A major TBT, Sridevi presenting Shahrukh Khan award a Filmfare Best Actor trophy back in 1998. A reunion on stage, the two had worked together in the film Army (1996). Khan had stated during the production of the film that he only did the film to work with a legend and observe her as he was a mega-fan. In a listicle, Shahrukh Khan mentioned that his favourite performer to watch was Sridevi, on stage at an awards show he brought to light that in conversation with Yash Chopra, the late great director and professed that Sridevi was his all-time favourite artist and the director had offered six films after Lamhe to Sri, but she refused them. Shahrukh at a press conference said he was so protective of Sridevi that he once asked her if he can give her a hug - she complied. And after the release of English Vinglish had spoken at length about the capabilities of the actor - that never fades with time nor age. 

Basically, King Khan was a Sri fan boy. 

I mean... aren't we all?! 

 

Sridevi in an advert in the early 2000s: Gorgeous

 Sridevi in an advert in the early 2000s: Gorgeous 

 Anyone know which ad - or have a link to a clip? pls comment below. 

This Sridevi tribute fan video trending on social media

 This Sridevi tribute fan video trending on social media... 

Sridevi as Queen in Puli

A movie that made more Rs100 crore, and yet was declared a flop as it didn't recover costs, Puli was a classic case of coulda woulda shoulda.... but didn't. 

A return to Tamil films for Sridevi after a 29 year gap, I've never wanted to like a movie more but... aiyaaaaa. It was awful. 

Sridevi looked fierce, her look and acting, and its tone reminded many of Charlize Theron in Snowhite and the Hunstman, but, a desi-version in an inferior film. 

Perhaps it works better for a younger generation looking at it like a children's fantasy film but the ambitious movie faltered in execution. 

Have seen many clips and reels of the film... just to see Sri again... 

"She left Tamil cinema like a young princess off to the big bad world of Bollywood, and came back a Queen having conquered it: Sridevi." - Suhasini Ratnam. 

Sridevi in Lamhe

Sridevi was just 27 when she gave her most polished, self-assured, flawless performance in Lamhe.  

Two distinct performances in one classic film. 

TBT: Sridevi on the cover of Aar Paar, Hindi Tabloid

TBT: Sridevi on the cover of Aar Paar, Hindi Tabloid. 

Fans will recognise her looks from the films Chandra Mukhi and Gumrah. Not sure about the one in white...