Sridevi, 25, in the film Chandni. It is insane to think at 25 she was considered a veteran! By September 1989 (when Chandni was released), Sridevi had already appeared in 222 films across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema, spanning her work as a child artist, teenage star, and leading lady.
Mita Vashisht appeared in her first commercial Hindi film in Chandni - and she seems to have had an... ambivalent time remembering that early phase on film. She has a unique and interesting voice, there's a gravitas there. She was 21, and her screen partner Sridevi was 25 - but the imbalance of power was staggering. By 1989, there was no star bigger than Sri - and Mita was a rank newcomer. The screen chemistry was fun - it really looked like they were friends. But not sure Sridevi ever spoke off camera, beyond polite greetings.
Playing the role of Chandni's friend, Kiran, Mita, in retrospectives and interviews reflecting on her early days in Hindi cinema shared warm praise for Sridevi's screen presence, work ethic, and distinct acting mastery.
Mita Vashisht has noted about working with Sridevi include:
Innate Screen Presence: Vashisht praised Sridevi's immense star power and natural flair in front of the camera, highlighting how effortlessly she could switch into character the moment the director called "action."
Professional Contrast: Coming from a formal theatre background at the National School of Drama (NSD), Vashisht observed the stark contrast between intense dramatic training and Sridevi’s intuitive, commercial movie-star magnetism. She noted learning a great deal about the rhythm of mainstream Hindi cinema simply by sharing screen space with her in Chandni.
Quiet Demeanor Off-Camera: Like many who worked with Sridevi, Vashisht remembered her as being remarkably quiet, reserved, and introverted between takes, transforming completely into a vibrant powerhouse only when the camera rolled.
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| Deepti Naval and Mita at Sridevi's funeral in 2018 |
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