Joy: Sridevi in Lamhe: The Happiest She's Ever been on Set. Until....

Sridevi was just 27 when she shot Lamhe - one of her finest hours on film in a career defining double role and performance that garnered her one of her many awards. 

These rare glimpses of Sridevi as Pooja shows the actress just bubbling with joy. Sridevi famously told Yash Chopra during the making of the movie in London, it is the happiest she's ever been in her life... until tragedy stuck when suddenly, her father passed away. 

In documented interviews (most notably a famous conversation with Karan Johar), Yash Chopra spoke extensively about a profound personal tragedy that struck Sridevi precisely while they were shooting Lamhe in London.

When the film's London schedule was nearly 90% complete, Sridevi’s mother called Yash Chopra to inform him that Sridevi's father had suddenly passed away. Chopra recounted the emotional weight of that moment:

"I couldn’t tell her [the news of his death]. I told her he's very serious. You have to take the flight."

Sridevi flew back to India and discovered the truth, remaining there for 16 days to complete the mandatory funeral and mourning rituals.

Her Acclaimed Professionalism

What Yash Chopra marvels at in his quotes - and what is frequently cited as a defining moment in her career- is what happened on her very first day back on set (the 17th day). Due to scheduling constraints and a co-star waiting to leave, the very first scene Sridevi had to shoot upon her return from mourning her father was a highly energetic comedy sequence (the iconic mud pack scene with Waheeda Rehman).

Chopra recalled:

"The next morning when she got up, I told her, 'Sri, there is a problem... This scene is a comedy scene'. She said, 'no problem, acting is acting'... At that time, I thought she is so professional. Such a wonderful artist. At that moment, she forgot everything. She did a wonderful scene. I understood then that is reason, the secret for her success."