Superstar Sridevi with her younger sister Sreelatha: Sister Sister!

Sridevi with younger sister Sreelatha.
Pic by AV Bhaskar 

Well, according to the internet, its Sridevi's younger sister Sreelatha's birthday today, August 1. Ipso facto, not sure if that's true as we wait for her to clarify and announce on her official Instagram account. 

In several interviews in the 1980s, Sridevi mentioned how she couldn't do without the company of her younger sister Sreelatha, especially in foreign or unfamiliar Hindi movie sets or those beyond Sri's comfort zone. The Bombay media was perpetually bemused by the constant presence of Sreelatha or Sridevi's mother Rajeshwari on set, always within arm's length of superstar Sri. 

The actress tried to answer why she always had family as company. Eg, this Showtime cover story excerpt;

Showtime: Everywhere you go, you take your sister Latha (Sreelatha) with you. She is as familiar with a studio set as you are. Yet never for a minute do you let her alone. The minute you leave the sets to go to your room, even if it is for five minutes, you take her along. Are you afraid that the big bad wolves of the industry will be after her? 

Sridevi: (Surprisingly the question does not evoke the kind of dismissal we were expecting). It's not like that at all. I am not afraid for her. I don't think that anybody will misbehave with her or anything. Film people are not as bad as they are made out to be. But I feel terribly insecure even if she is not there for ten minutes with me. Try and understand my situation. My entire life is spent in the four walls of the studio. I have no real contact with the real world. I don't have a home here [Bombay/Mumbai]. My family is not here. My friends are not here. She is my only link with reality. I am not just protective about her, I'm extremely possessive about her.

Showtime: But what about her individuality? Doesn't she have anything to do in life besides tagging along? Specially, since she's not even into acting herself...

Sridevi: I'm not forcing her to come along with me. She wants to be with me, as much as I want to be with her. She doesn't have any friends here either. So it's a mutually suitable arrangement.

But what if she gets married?

Sridevi: She won't! I mean of course she will get married, but not till I am married! Till, then, she is with me! 

Update: Such are the permutations of an unpredictable, volatile life line that Sreelatha ended up getting married first, having a lengthy dispute with Sridevi after the passing of their parents in the early 90s and making up (thankfully) before Sridevi's untimely death and tragic loss.

Sisters; a complicated relationship of bonds that bend, but don't break. 

We have dozens of pics of Sreelatha with Sridevi in the archive here.