Femina's first cover with Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi! Throwback to 1984!

Earlier, I had posted that Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit were symbiotically connected in the media, whether they liked it or not!  If you wanted to find one celebrity - be it Sridevi or Madhuri Dixit - you would find them next to the other! As far back as September 1984, the two were placed next to each other, for comparison, critique and sometimes, like here for example, coincidence. 

While Abodh released in 1984 with Madhuri Dixit's first film tanking at the box-office, Sridevi by September 1984, at age 21, had already been declared the Number One female superstar of India. Meanwhile, Femina didn't even spell Madhuri Dixit's name right - good grief! Was the sub-editor asleep?! 

For the next five years, La Dixit was playing catch up... in 1989, she was seriously considered for the top rung.  

May 1989

Sridevi was on solid footing from Himmatwala in 1983 to 1993 summer... Then was was speculative journalism became confirmed status quo; Madhuri Dixit's box office success and top of the charts music of Choli ke peecheh in Khal Nayak, established her as the definitive leading lady of Bollywood, the Numero Uno. Funnily enough though, as soon as that happened, Juhi Chawla came in out of the blue like a bowling ball and knocked down her competition like volatile pins; she had 8 releases and four massive hits; the blockbuster Darr, the sexy action flick Lootere, the family drama Aaina and her award-winning-turn in the rom com Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke! Just as she was getting comfortable on top of the heap, summer of 1994 came the biggest hit of the year/decade/all-time... the Bollywood Titanic; Hum Aapke Hain Kaun!   The Number One throne suddenly became musical chairs, interchangeable with every high and low of box-office tides. Of all the actresses, let's give credit where credit is due, Madhuri Dixit had stated that talent outlasts all, "we are not horses on a racecourse", its just acting, hits and flops don't matter, one remembers the performance. When you think of Nargis, Meena Kumari or Nutan - do you ever think of which movie did ROI?! Only film producers and exhibitors do. The audience doesn't. 

Tags on this vintage Femina cover;

Wow - a major throwback. 

• A TIMES OF INDIA PUBLICATION

• SEPTEMBER 8—22, 1984

• Femina

• Rs. 3.00

Main Image Text

• Madhuri Dikshit (!)

Bottom Middle Section

• What exactly is star power?