Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi in their first film together: Inquilaab

Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi in their first film together: Inquilaab  

More of this look in the archive here.

Sridevi on the cover of Good Food: Stunning in white

Dabboo Ratnani captures Indian icon Sridevi. 

I must reluctantly file a minor grievance; creatively, its a boring shot.

In the early 1990s, Dabboo Ratnani was one of the first few creative geniuses who changed the game when it came to film photography. He experimented with light, texture, brought a Western aesthetic to Indian stars, the images he created of Pooja Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, - eventually Madhuri Dixit and other celebs, they were staggeringly beautiful and creative. 

While his portfolio was being built as his star continued to rise,  Sridevi was slowly inching away from the industry and he never captured her until she came back to the industry after her hiatus. 

By then, Dabbs was part of the establishment. Many of the shots quite frankly phoned in. Its always good, pleasant, nice... but the wow factor has been missing for a while. 

On occasion you finds bright sparks, especially when he makes the iconic calendar (another whine--he never featured Sridevi or Rekha), It became such a touchstone, you weren't really a pan Indian celebrity unless or until you were featured in his coveted annual calendar. Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, his two favourites, were featured regularly, the Bachchans more often than not, and a handful of young stars who shed their inhibitions and clothes for the cam. 

Samson lost his powers when his hair was cut, Dabs when he lost his tubs, the more weight he lost, the less powerful his portraits became! You can't unsee it now can you?! ;0)

Well, currently only one person has a collection of rare pictures of Sridevi that we covet more than anyone else; Rakesh Shreshta. We've been begging him to do a book for 8 years now. A light at the end of the tunnel...  More on that later. 

Boney Kapoor and Sridevi

The film producer falling in love with his leading lady is a tale as old as cinema itself.  

Boney Kapoor and Sridevi 

20 Year Old Sridevi rocking in Bollywood

Having the shot the film when she was just 20, gorgeous Sridevi rocked it out in Inquilaab back in Jan of 1984!

The casual elegance of Sridevi rocking the fashion of the time, all the candy stripe colours in wardrobe and makeup worked on the doll-like actress, who simply looked good in anything. 
 

 

The Sridevi song in Hum Farishte Nahin! Sridevi Trivia

 

There are several songs dedicated to Sridevi in pop culture; one of the most popular, memorable ones for us is obviously Devi, Sridevi. 

In the (awful) film Hum Farishte Nahin, Raj Babbar chases Smita Patil (in a guest appearance), wearing an outfit stamped with Sridevi pics as he sings Tu Meri Sridevi... 

 

Sridevi in Maharajasri Mayagadu (1988)

Sridevi in the Telugu film Maharajasri Mayagadu (1988) 
 

Rare pic: Khushi Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Sridevi on the sets of Mom (2017)

Rare pic: Khushi Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Sridevi on the sets of Mom (2017)

Janhvi Kapoor's adorable (over filtered!) selfie! 

Rare photo: Sridevi as a bride in Chandni (1989)

Rare photo: Sridevi as a bride in Chandni (1989)

Sridevi

 Sridevi by Rakesh Shreshta. Early 90s

TBT: Sridevi, "I flirt with the camera!"

Interview with Sridevi on the sets of Farishtay

Under a technicolour umbrella, there’s Sridevi. We are in Pahelgam. The rivulets flow from the mountaintops, birds chuckle, goats bleat and the sun’s striking a drum-beat.

Producer Sattee Shourie with Sridevi

It takes a lot of hubble-bubble, toil and trouble to wrap up an elaborate song’n’dance. Two cameras are whirring, producer Sattee Shourie (L) is something of a tigress, protecting her heroine as if she was her very own cub, from the autograph-mad millions. 

I barge into the shadow under her umbrella. Sridevi presents me with one of her special Miss India smiles. She nods politely, an interview’s okay she says, she’s not so shy anymore. She speaks in sentences now, gone are those classic monosyllables which were the bane of your life. 

Q: I’d like you to go back to your childhood. How has your experience as a child artiste helped you as an actress?
Sridevi: I played Lord Murugan in my very first film. Can you imagine, I did the role of a God even when I didn’t know about God? I was scared of people, I wasn’t very talkative. I was very thin. I suppose the experience helped me to come out of my shell, become confident. As a child, I wasn’t very smart. Today, I’m more sure of myself.

Did you have any friends?

Sridevi: Not really. No one except Dolly who was in the same school, the Good Shepherd Convent in Madras. She was sweet but I’ve lost touch with her. I studied only till the seventh standard. I never got used to the textbooks. I only got used to the camera. Naturally, I didn’t know anything about acting as a child. The director would say do this and I'd do it. I’d imitate him, like a parrot.

Do you think acting comes out of the experience?

Sridevi: No, no. Acting has nothing to do with your experience. Either you have it in you - or you don’t. In Tamil movies, there are actresses who have been in the industry for a long time but they still can’t act well. On the other hand, you have newcomers, who act superbly.

What kind of relationship do you have with he camera?

Sridevi: I flirt with it.

Do you see the camera like some male?

Sridevi: No. no, I was just joking. If the camera was a male, I’d be very reserved with it!

Have you always been closer to your mother than to your father?

Sridevi: Ummm, let me think… I’ve been close to both. Daddy’s stronger than mummy. He was a lawyer, an advocate, now he’s retired. He’s very affectionate. I’m not scared of him. I respect him a lot. If I stay up to watch video after midnight, he naturally shouts at me, I’m his little baby, he doesn’t treat me like a grown-up. 

Where do you draw your emotions from while acting?

Sridevi: There’s no such thing, there's no theory about acting. When I was seven I did my first film. I had to do a death scene and didn’t know what death meant. So I just pretended to go off to sleep. I’m told I did the death scene so well that both the director and the hero started crying. They couldn’t stand the thought that I was dead. 

Can you cry easily for the camera?

Sridevi: I can’t cry for the camera. I have to act it out. I need glycerine. While doing Mr. India, Shekhar (Kapur) told me to avoid glycerine, He felt I could cry on my own. I tried to, I tried to think of so many things but a tear just wouldn’t come. Probably, nothing sad has ever happened to me. Touchwood! No harm has ever come to my family or my relatives. But Shekhar wouldn't listen, he said keep trying. Finally, the tears came but theu didn’t come from my heart.

Do you ever regret missing out on your childhood?

Sridevi: As a child, I didn’t have the time to play with my sister or with my neighbourhood kids. I'd feel sad that I’ve to go shooting while my sister would be sleeping so aaram se [peacefully]. I’d ask, “Why she’s sleeping? Why’re you are more lenient with her?” But then to get something, you have to lose something. I’ve also wondered what holidays are... it must be great to go away to some faraway place and do nothing.

Do you ever try to learn more about things? Through cinema, through books?

Sridevi: Books, I’ve never read. but I do watch a lot of movies. I like Meryl Streep, she’s good even in a bad film. I liked her so much in Heartburn and Out of Africa.

In Mr.India, you reminded one of Geeta Bali. Have you been watching her movies on video? Did you copy her consciously?

Sridevi: I’ve been told this by other people too. But believe me, I’ve never seen a Geeta Bali film. I’ll make it a point to see her films now. 

 

OTHER INTERVIEWS

• Sridevi's interview with Filmfare back in 1985 here.
• Sridevi's interview with MOVIE magazine back in 1994 here.
• Sridevi's interview with India Today in 2012 here.

Sridevi in Himmatwala: How the Journey in Bollywood Began

Released on February 25, 1983, the course of Sridevi's career changed with Himmatwala released and became an immediate mega-hit. The craze for the song Nainon main sapna, suddenly a new young star of 20 was 'the' biggest craze of a nation. 

Even back then, from his first big Hindi hit, the media was stating, "She was a born actress." The misstep of Solva Saawan (that released in 1979 when Sridevi was just 16), was quickly forgotten by most.

Sridevi and Divya Bharti

The no-makeup look of Sridevi and Divya Bharti... their cheeky faces were so similar! Though they were not even remotely related, the resemblance was such that Divya got a career out of it. Her shocking accidental death, by falling off a balcony, remains a scarring memory... and then Sridevi's accidental drowning decades later... devastating.

Had she lived, surely Divya Bharti would have been a major star - and turned 51 today. Alas, taken to the firmament of stars at age 19. 

The greater the conspiracy, lower the intellect of the accuser. Look for the strain of logic missing, bizarre  science, ludicrous correlation and its questionable causation. Hell, just look at the spelling! Not one bat-shit theory have we published here simply because fate is crueler than man can ever be. 

Life isn't fair; get used to it. 

Dark days: Adieu Sridevi

There isn't a day when we don't remember her... 

But this Yash Raj post... 

Remembering Sridevi: Feb 24: A Tribute.

On the evening of February 24, 2018, at the age of 54 years, Indian actress Sridevi passed at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. She died of accidental drowning that fateful night and forever closed a rich chapter of Indian cinematic history so abruptly, innumerable students of cinema have been left reeling in shock. 

Fresh off the critical and box-office success of, what became her final film, Mom (2017), the Indian thespian was in talks with her favourite female director on a potential project, she (and her team) had allegedly met with the-then head of Netflix India, directors of note had penned film proposals, filmmakers young and old were conjuring projects that could only have taken flight with the winged aid of this actor par excellence, bolstered by the star wattage of her esteem and caliber. She wasn't a yesteryear star of faded aura or glory, but shining brightly, incandescent with a preternatural ability to perform and share her inner light with the world with such grace and tremendous dignity. 

Alas, alas, alas, destiny played a different cruel hand, and took the angel-faced cherub back to her final abode. 

We heard the news in our part of the world mid Feb 25, seven years ago. However, we didn't believe it until much later, when the honourable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi himself, took to social media to express his condolences on the passing of a national treasure, one of the greats in the Indian pantheon of artistes.  

How do we explain Sridevi to a foreigner or alien unfamiliar with her vast repertoire? A child star who segued into every stage of celebrity (without falling into its inevitable trappings) with ease. She was a teen actor, pinup, leading lady and legend in a span of two decades. A workhorse ("an acting machine" as the Bhatt brothers said of her), her drive and work ethic has no parallels in the East or West. 

She elevated herself from ingenue to legend with such unfathomable skill and preternatural ability. She was an actor, she was a star, she was a dancer, she was a phenomena; to many of us, she was a moving image that suddenly lay still; the seismic shock reverberated across the nation and for a dark day, the entire country seemingly stood still, watching her funeral procession and final journey one last time. 

As editors and publishers wrote on social media, we will never see another Sridevi again. 

It has been years now and it is still difficult to fathom the depth of this eternal loss. The impotent rage of the conspiracy theorists, the staggering incompetence of the hashtag #justiceforSridevi (you want to sue who? Brahma?!), these are all permutations of grief that have reared itself in ugly, thoughtless heads. Looking for blame and passing it on, like a virus that corrodes the mind of all logic and rationale. When the dust settles, and the harsh reality seeps through, all the stages of grief will harpoon through the erudite and the ignorant, in equal, eventual measure; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. 

Born Ayappan Sreedevi, she left Sridevi Kapoor, uniting the north, south, east and west in such inexplicable grief. 

How gracefully she lived, how quietly she left. How indelible her memory is. 

Sridevi proved she was both Anju and Manju back in 1989. In 2018, we bore witness that she was indeed mortal and yet, eternal... 

Ayappan Sreedevi: 1963 - 2018

 

Simply beautiful: Sridevi in and as Chandni

Simply beautiful: Sridevi in and as Chandni!

 

The Race to the top: Sunday magazine edtiion: Sridevi, Juhi, Urmila, Kajol

By 1997, Sunday magazine, was looking for the Next Number One Leading lady... 

These were the contenders... 

Sridevi looking glorious here. 

Urmila having a bad hair day. 

Sridevi in Laadla (1994)

 

Sridevi and her power suits in Laadla (1994)

Having turned 30 when she shot the film, the age of innocence, of playing wallflower or victim, was beyond the scope of all-powerful and all-knowing Sridevi. By then, Sridevi had already appeared in over 200 films since the age of four, so the omnipotent and omniscient one had to essay stronger parts, leads that were specially written with her in mind. 

Laadla was a flawed film (as was Judaai) but somehow, the power of conviction by the actress which helped the suspension of belief while watching powered the movies and made them so watchable and entertaining. 

Sridevi and Jeetendra in Himmatwala (1983): 42 Years of Sridevi and Jeetendra's first hit!

 

Released on February 25, 1983, no one expected Sridevi's second Hindi film as a leading lady, Himmatwala, to be the blockbuster that it was. The surprise blockbuster catapulted Sridevi to superstardom and she was all of 20! 42 years ago, Sridevi, indeed Hindi cinema's trajectory changed. 

Same same but different... Sridev in Laadla, Sridevi in Kaun Sachcha, Kaun Jhootha

Sridevi in Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha (1997)

 

Sridevi in Laadla (1994)

Very similar look and styling for Sridevi; on the sets of her 90s films in Bollywood. 

• See earlier feature about Sridevi with similar looks in different films here. 

Beautiful Sridevi in Gorgeous Jaipur

Sunny Deol, Sridevi and Pran in Nigahein (1989)

Sunny Deol, Sridevi and Pran

The cast and crew; producer/director Harmesh Malhotra, stars Sunny Deol, Sridevi and Pran in Nigahein (1989). 

Sridevi looked so beautiful in this film. 

Producer/director Harmesh Malhotra, Pran and Sridevi 

Sridevi

 

Sridevi in Main Tera Dushman back in 1989!

Those eyes... you know the quote... like two drops of coffee in milk...  

Mahurat of Inquilaab: Amitabh Bachchan's first film with Sridevi back in 1984

Rare pic: Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi at the mahurat/launch of their first film together, 1984's smash hit Inquilaab. 

 

Sreedevi with her sister Sreelatha: TBT to 1985! Superstar Sridevi's sibling

 

Young Sridevi always had someone from her family with her during a film shoot, usually her mother Rajeshwari or sister Sreelatha. Latha was with Sridevi during the making of the Telugu film Vajrayudham (1985). 

As famed photographer A.V. Bhaskar was visiting on set, he asked Sridevi's only sister to sit with the superstar for a few clicks. Both looked so good, the images went viral and were published in several Tamil and Telugu film magazines - which was the origin story of the initial rumours that Sreelatha was also interested in joining movies. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Both sisters denied it and yet the rumours persisted. In fact just a few days ago, read this in some BS film website/blog that Sreelatha had interest in joining movies. 40 years later, the rumours still persist when it didn't have an iota of truth to it! 

Never understand why fake news travels so much faster than the truth...

Poonam, Padmini and Sridevi: Fabulous in their 40s

TBT to 2010

Ladies of the 80s!

Poonam Dhillon, 48, Sridevi, 47, Padmini Kolhapure, 45.

Cine Blitz excerpt;

"Still wanted! Poonam Dhillon, Sridevi and Padmini Kolhapure at the launch of South filmmaker Bharathi Raja's Hindi film, Cinema. Sri said she was thrilled to be there for her mentor, who had cast her years ago in his South debut film." 

 

Sridevi and Anil Kapoor: Hits, flops, and the chala nahin dauda list!

Above, Sridevi and Anil Kapoor in Ram Avtar, Lamhe, Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Heer Ranjha to Laadla 

The Hits, flops, and the chala nahin dauda list! 

Films Featuring Anil Kapoor and Sridevi

• 1986 - Karma (Sridevi paired with Jackie Shroff) - Super hit
• 1987 - Mr India - Hit
• 1988 - Ram Avtar - Flop
• 1988 - Sone Pe Suhaaga (Sridevi paired with Jeetendra) - Average
• 1989 - Joshilaay (Sridevi paired with Sunny Deol) - Average
• 1991 - Lamhe - Average
• 1992 - Heer Ranjha - Flop
• 1992 - Aasman Se Gira (Cameo by both) - Flop
• 1993 - Gurudev - Average
• 1993 - Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja - Flop
• 1994 - Laadla - Hit
• 1996 - Mr Bechara - Flop
• 1997 - Judaai - Hit