Sunday, 30 June 2024

Famous fan: Supriya Pathak on meeting Sridevi on a flight!

 


In a recently published interview, actress Supriya Pathak revealed that she once met Indian icon and superstar Sridevi on a flight and the unexpected encounter left her in stitches.  She never anticipated that a star of her stature would be so simple and so sweet. 

 “I was returning from the US and Sridevi was in the same flight with us," recalls the actor who never worked with Sridevi though they were both in Hindi films during the 1980s. "Naturally, she is great, one of my favourite actors. We met and she was very happy to meet me. When we boarded the flight, normally an actor will never come by himself/herself and ask you to enact a character. It’s not done because you are an actor, and you don’t expect it.” 

She went on in surprise, “I just went and sat and she came to me and said, ‘I am so sorry but can you please speak like Hansa.’ I said, ‘Oh my god.’ I was so happy. I said, ‘Hello, how are, khana kha ke jana.’ She was so thrilled throughout the flight, she kept laughing. She was a great, great fan of Khichdi.”

Though Supriya Pathak never worked with Sridevi - her mother did. The late great character artist Dina Pathak (best remembered for her brilliant work in Hrishikesh Mukherjee films like Khoobsurat, Gol Maal etc)  worked with Sridevi in her first Hindi film Solva Saawan and 80s films like Balidaan and Aulad. 

Icons of Indian Cinema: Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi: The Last Emperor and The Last Empress

Watching Amitabh Bachchan, 81, in Kalki is a reminder of his greatness. Truly the last emperor.. A great actor, and global superstar. The last of the truly grand movie stars. 

Alas, we didn't see Sridevi and Big B together again for one more film, guess English Vinglish's all too brief cameo will do.

Below: Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi on stage in the early 1990s. 
 Below: Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi at the Marrakech Film Festival. How regal they look. 

 

Saturday, 29 June 2024

Sridevi strikes a pose: Behind the scenes: Centrefold


Sridevi on the sets of Pathar ke Insaan. Her costume from one of her big song and dance routines. 

Fierce Sridevi in Chaalbaaz (1989)

Fierce Sridevi in Chaalbaaz (1989) 

A rarely seen poster of Sridevi as she strikes a pose with a stuffed tiger - well, she is a Leo born! 

From a comedic seductress scene in Tera beemar mera dil in Sridevi's award-winning film. The 80s glamour of it all... 

Archive of Chaalbaaz features and image galleries here.
 

Friday, 28 June 2024

Rakesh Roshan with Sridevi in Bhagwaan Daada

Rakesh Roshan with Sridevi in Bhagwaan Daada 
 

Shraddha Kapoor's Sridevi linked films all.... shelved?!

 


Shraddha Kapoor to play Bollywood's new-age naagin: Sridevi comparison began almost immediately two years ago when the film was announced and she tweeted (below). This apparent trilogy (btw did you know Nagina was a trilogy? Nagina, Nigahein: Naagina Part 2, and Nagme - which never got made as Nigahein wasn't a blockbuster) seems to be on hold as its been years with no news...   

She's attached to yet another Sridevi related project, Chaalbaaz in London (which we have a feeling is shelved as well), which also seems to be going nowhere fast. 

Young Shraddha's been a superfan for a while (scroll back) and there are clips on YouTube when she's fanned out on Sri, but these classic remakes are a bad, bad idea. Himmatwala remake was a disaster, Sridevi's songs re-done have never had the original charm or grace, let's just leave classics alone... 






 

Thursday, 27 June 2024

Sridevi on the sets of Ghar Sansar (1986)

  

Sridevi on the sets of Ghar Sansar (1986)

The diya holding shots are a staple for Indian heroines - and the images used and re-used during Diwali in print... 

Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in Sadma


 Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in Sadma 

Wednesday, 26 June 2024

Now and then: Chiranjeevi and Sridevi: Janhvi Kapoor and Ram Charan

Now and then: Chiranjeevi and Sridevi: Janhvi Kapoor and Ram Charan. 

Will history repeat itself at the box-office? Let's see. 
 

Arjun Kapoor turns 39

 

Arjun Kapoor (first-born of Boney Kapoor and Mona Kapoor) with his step-sister Janhvi Kapoor (first-born of Indian icon Sridevi and Boney Kapoor), rare pics of the two step-siblings over the years on the right. 

Arjun turns 39 today.  

We've posted very little here about Mr.Kapoor but will pay homage to his exemplary role in stepping up when the chips were down for his father and adopting his step-sisters in an honourable way during their time of need. 

A capable actor, lady luck and box-office seems to elude him. Let's see what the future holds. We wish the actor well. His choices have always been interesting be it his first film Ishaqzaade (2012), Aurangzeb (2013) or Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021). In many ways, enjoyed Ki & Ka (2016) too but I just remember a part in the film where he was working out with a few people and training them or something and I heard from the back of the cinema, 'Yeh mota kya gym sikhayega?' and the audience burst out laughing. Indian public is not to be messed with... 

"Yeh jo public hai woh sab jaanti hai..."

 

Shekhar Kapur's notes on Sridevi on Twitter.

 Director Shekhar Kapur's insightful notes about the film Mr.India and working with 'the great Sridevi.' 

Tuesday, 25 June 2024

TBT: Radha and Sridevi in Sandhippu (1983)

 

TBT: Radha and Sridevi in Sandhippu (1983).

Much more about the two in the archive here.

Sridevi in BW: A life on set in black and white images



Sridevi in BW: A life on set in black and white images 

TBT: Tabloid headline: Anil Kapoor Shocked! How Sridevi took him for a ride!

Remember when Indian film tabloids just made shit up? Now its that x million but its on Bollywood blogs online. The pressure to have new material and eyeballs and click rates means clickbait with bullsh*t newsbytes without any proof or truth. I'd like to say its a new phenomenon but in film journalism, this isn't the exception to the rule, but a handy tool to sell, sell, sell. 

I remember a colleague in a local tabloid saying, "The news doesn't have to be factual, it has to be interesting!"

In many ways, from the early days of Stardust to innumerable news channels and blogs, fact gets muddied for fresh fiction. This spread is... a fine example. 
 

Monday, 24 June 2024

Rare pic: Sridevi and Vinod Khanna in Garajna (1991)


Rare pic: Sridevi and Vinod Khanna in Garajna (1991). One of a handful of films that Sridevi worked in - but never got released. 


Sridevi on the sets of Chandra Mukhi (1993)

Sridevi, 30, on the sets of Chandra Mukhi (1993). In a Salman Khan film, she had the title role - the power of Sri! 


 

Sridevi in the mid 1980s

 

Sridevi in the mid 1980s... is this a real pic or a fake? 


Sridevi with Producer and Director Harmesh Malhotra over the Years


Above: Producer/director Harmesh Malhotra with Sridevi and Sunny Deol 
on the sets of Nigahein (1989)
Below: Choreographer Saroj Khan, Sridevi and Harmesh Malhotra on the sets of Banjaran (1991)



Above: Sushma Seth, Harmesh Malhotra, Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi on the sets of Nagina (1986) 
Below: Sridevi with Harmesh Malhotra on the sets of Sherni (1988)


 

Sunday, 23 June 2024

Now and then: Cast of Telugu smash Jagadheka Veerudu Athiloka Sundhari reunite after decades!

The cast of the Telugu smash Jagadheka Veerudu Athiloka Sundhari (1990) and a reunion of sorts with a notable, conspicuous absence. Chiranjeevi and the then kids--now 34 years later!--now grown adults met up after long. I'm sure Sridevi was deeply, profoundly missed. 

Let's all collectively pretend she just returned to the heavens, homeward bound as intended... 


 

Sridevi dressed as a bride on set: TBT to the early 1980s


Sridevi dressed as a bride on set: TBT to the early 1980s in Bollywood. 

  • Sridevi as a bride in dozens of films here.
  • Sridevi as a bride in Mr.India here.
  • Sridevi as a bride in films here.

Sridevi in the Telugu film Maa Bangarakka (1977)

 

Sridevi, 14, with co-star Murali Mohan in the Telugu film Maa Bangarakka (1977)

Saturday, 22 June 2024

Gorgeous Sridevi and Boney Kapoor at a Wedding Reception in 1999





Sridevi and Boney Kapoor at the Turf Club, as the power couple attended the wedding reception of Sarika and Sushil Jain, son of Ganesh Jain (founder of the record label Venus). 
-- December 11, 1999

Sridevi in Aakhari Poratam (1988)

Sridevi in Aakhari Poratam (1988)
She did soooo many of the notorious 'rain songs', drenched song and dance routines to entice the audience. She famously said in Baje Payal that they were not fun to do. 

Friday, 21 June 2024

Sridevi quote: TBT to 1985 Cine Blitz

"White is my favorite colour, and, serendipitously, I find that I always include at least one white look in every film I make. Besides white, I love purple. Even though I'm 5'8" [approx. 172 cm], I still love wearing high heels because being tall gives a woman a sense of self-esteem, but I can't wear heels all the time because some of the my co-stars are not tall, like Kakaji [Rajesh Khanna]. You know, in one of the films he looked taller than Jackie Shroff? Jackie was barefoot and Kakaji in high heels, I don’t know if anyone noticed that. 

Shoes, I always know what is fashionable and what is not. My sister usually buys me shoes. My sister does everything for me." 

-- Sridevi, August 1985, Cine Blitz
 

Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Sridevi, Moushumi Chatterjee, Sunil Dutt and Mithun Chakraborty in Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987)

Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987) had such an incredible cast, with legends like Ashok Kumar, Dharmendra,  Sunil Dutt, Prem Chopra, Moushumi Chatterjee, Kader Khan with the top stars of the 1980s like Sridevi and Mithun Chakraborty. 

Was a huge hit despite lukewarm reviews. 

Sridevi on the sets of Ram Avtar

Sridevi on the sets of Ram Avtar 
 

Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Silver Screen Siren: Sridevi

 Silver Screen Siren: Sridevi 

 An all-time fav cover shoot for G magazine with Sridevi. 



Sridevi in a yellow chiffon sari: Telugu magazine cover

 

Sridevi in a yellow chiffon sari from the Hindi film Majaal (1987), but image used in Telugu tabloid. 



Monday, 17 June 2024

Sridevi by the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Sridevi by the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha. Shot in the 1990s in Bollywood, Sridevi's modern avatar was so different from the usual glamarous, costumed shoots Sridevi used to do. Gautam da was so skilled in presenting movie stars as what they were; supernovas that came across once in a lifetime... 


TBT: Boney Kapoor and Sridevi in New Delhi meet tennis ace Leander Paes



Sridevi and Boney Kapoor meet Leander Paes at an event organized by Sahara India at India Habitat Centre. 
-- New Delhi, October 5, 2010

 Today is Leander's birthday - we wish the ace player and champion well.