Sridevi's dance costumes in Bollywood: Glittering Sridevi

Sridevi's dance costumes in Bollywood: Glittering Sridevi. 

Sridevi on the sets of Jaag Utha Insan, in the early 1980s in Bollywood.  

I know its hard to believe today, but Sridevi was criticised for her revealing dance costumes in this film - the glitter and shimmer, non-traditional approach to the costume of a traditional Indian dance Bollywood-ised (the magazines used another expression that we don't care to repeat!) was not kosher among traditionalists and classical dance teachers down south. The kuchipudi/temple dance in the film is glorious--parts of the stage show are Bollywood-ised versions of a classical dance, but not considered pure classical. But then, this is Hindi/Bollywood cinema, not Kalamandalam. 

K Vishwanath never shied away from pathos or eros... but that's for another long feature on how sensuality is rarely presented well or aesthetically in Indian cinema. There's always an unintentional cringe factor that comes along for an audience more used to sexual violence on screen than sexual redemption. 

Sridevi's innocent face was doing something else and her red bustier fringed with faux diamantes was doing something else. It is honestly, one of Sridevi's finest performances and there are two dances in the movie where she shines above and beyond the norm. Alas very few people saw it that year as the movie was out of cinemas quickly, making way for masala movies, not this morality tale on the ills of caste system.