Sridevi: The First Female Superstar of Indian Cinema, Whose Legacy Endures Beyond the Awards She Was Denied

Sridevi was a supernova who blazed the big screen brightly—and was as frequently overlooked by the establishment! From her beginnings as a child artist in the late 1960s to her reign as the undisputed pan-Indian superstar of the 1980s and early 1990s, and her triumphant comeback in the 2010s, Sridevi commanded the screen with a rare alchemy of comic timing, dramatic intensity, and effortless glamour. 

As most know, she worked across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema, becoming one of the most versatile and bankable actresses of her era.

As her fans have long argued, she was “robbed” of several major accolades, particularly in the Hindi film industry, where commercial success did not always translate into critical trophies. Yet her verified record of wins and honors remains formidable.

Here is a comprehensive, fact-checked compilation of her major awards and accolades.

Sridevi’s Major Awards

Year	Award	Category	Film / Recognition
1970	Kerala State Film Award	Best Child Artist	Poombatta
1981	Filmfare Awards South	Best Actress (Tamil)	Meendum Kokila
1982	Tamil Nadu State Film Award	Best Actress	Moondram Pirai
1990	Filmfare Award	Best Actress	Chaalbaaz
1991	Filmfare Awards South	Best Actress (Telugu)	Kshana Kshanam
1991	Nandi Award	Best Actress	Kshana Kshanam
1992	Filmfare Award	Best Actress	Lamhe
2012	Stardust Awards	Best Actress in a Drama	English Vinglish
2013	Padma Shri	Civilian Honour	Contribution to Indian Cinema
2013	Jagran Film Festival	Best Actress	English Vinglish
2018	National Film Award	Best Actress	Mom (posthumous)

Posthumous Awards

2019: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumous) 

2025: Filmfare Cine Icon Award (accepted by Boney Kapoor) 

Additional Notable Nominations & Honours 

Filmfare nominations for 

1. Sadma (1984), 
2. Chandni (1990), 
3. Khuda Gawah (1993), 
4. Gumrah (1994), 
5. Laadla (1995), 
6. Judaai (1998), 

.... plus multiple Lifetime Achievement recognitions.

In Her Own Words

“I’m very excited when I win an award for a Telugu or Tamil film... This is my fourth Filmfare award after the Tamil film Meendum Kokila in ’81, Chaalbaaz in ’89 and Lamhe in ’91.” 

--Sridevi to Filmfare magazine (1993)