Sridevi and Vinod Khanna in Pathar ke Insan (1991): Gorgeous Sri in the flop film

Released on 15 January 1991, a few months after Chandni (also with Sridevi and Vinod Khanna), there was such high expectation from Pathar ke Insan, but it all came crashing down as the story went a bit wayward as it had as many plots as it did plot holes. Sridevi dances and looks a dream throughout, but nothing could save this from tanking. 

Oh well. 

In the early years, Sridevi (like other stars) was batting a high range of hits doing a huge number of films, averaging a dozen films a year (in multiple languages). The "hardest working actress" of Indian cinema rarely took a break and she was a methodical, and perhaps over burdened, but she always showed such grace and ease, her exhaustion didn't vocalise into excuses. She rarely missed work. Except when you look for erratic patterns away from the norm... you'll find them; the number of times she's mentioned that she's worked through a fever and ill health (most famously with a fever in Mr.India, in Gumrah, in Chaalbaaz, her fall during Aasman se Gira etc). The fainting spells have been recorded too but observers didn't take note, after all, she was human and fallible, prone to ill-health and fatigue like the rest of us--but her persistence and zealous work ethic was second to none. Note how quickly she returned to work after personal tragedy (her father's passing and later her mother's). When she finally took a proper break from movies, after Judaai, to raise her children, she earned her self-imposed hiatus.  

This current absence has been... traumatic. I think several fans have suffered PTSD and its coming out in bat-shit conspiracy theories to lay blame on someone other than fate. Yes, we've read all the allegations and seen the YouTube clips - if the Indian penal code hadn't been so backed up, several people would be facing defamation and libel.  

Sridevi's death anniversary coming up in a few days. The gut-punch hasn't healed.