Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983)

 

The real pics - the ai enhanced... and over edited pic... 

Ai corrects old vintage archival pics sometimes well, otherwise, its a complete over correction where the final image looks nothing like the original star. 

Sridevi in a blue sari... one of her favourite looks. Think this is from the Tamil film Aduthu Varisu...

Gorgeous Sridevi on the sets of Sadma

Gorgeous Sridevi on the sets of Sadma 

8 Jul 1983

Stunning Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983)

 

Released on 7 July 1983, the year Sridevi, 20, stormed Bollywood with one hit after another with "Jumping Jack Jeetendra" ... Mumbai tabloids coined several phrases that live on! 

Adutha Varisu led by Rajinikanth and Sridevi is a gem of a movie that I discovered long after Sridevi's passing, much to my infinite pleasure. Sridevi acts well, as always, and looks like a dream in the movie! 

Doomed to never see a new Sridevi film again (the Ai slop can go to hell), a rich treasure trove of undiscovered Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films (the Kannada films are mostly poor dubs) are now suddenly open to non-native speaking fans thanks to restoration and finally decent subtitles and accurate captions. 

19-year-old Sridevi in this Rajinikanth led caper is strikingly beautiful and acts with the charm, ease and comedic genius she is known for. The retelling of the folklore of Anastasia, which was made in Hindi as Raja Rani in 1972, this Tamil retelling works wonders as you see all the stars in the film in fine form. Highly recommend for a weekend entertainer. 

Sridevi's glittering costumes in Himmtwala by Madhav Agasti!

 

A man I had never heard of till earlier this week, film costume designer Madhav Agasti is credited with designing the looks of several movie stars in Mumbai, including Sridevi’s flashy, glittering, and colourful outfits in her first Hindi hit, Himmatwala (1983)! Most famously the vibrant, heavily embellished looks in the song “Naino Mein Sapna” (with the water pots and feather dusters!), the flashy amrapalis and bright dance costumes and glittering accessories bounced off the screen. 

These over-the-top, sparkling ensembles became a signature 1980s, the South Indian masala style that played a big role in Sridevi’s early Hindi cinema stardom. 

Just as Sridevi burst onto the screen in her memorable hit Nainon main sapna, her bright orange, hot pink, diamante studded dance costumes were all vetted to make a lasting, sensual, aesthetic and essentially Indian belle look. 

 

Sridevi and Jeetendra in Jaani Dost (1983)

Sridevi and Jeetendra in Jaani Dost (1983). 

Released on 27 May 1983, this film with heavy hitters Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Parveen Babi and newcomer to Bollywood, 20-year-old Sridevi. 

By the time of the film's release, Himmatwala had already stormed the screens a few months before, so when Sridevi pops up in her song, the whistles were loud and clear; there's a new cine-queen in town. 

Considering the scale and cast of the film, the movie wasn't considered a hit back then, but when you look at the numbers, it just about broke even. As the Telugu version Adavi Simhalu was a hit, the makers were not at a financial loss. 

In this blog, I'm noting down box-office results often as it really is "show" "business", movies have to break even at the bare minimum. The economics of movie making is a (faulty) science of its own, and as history has repeatedly proved, its not about looks or talent, but results. You can have a lengthy career as long as audiences turn up at the cinema. 

Sridevi makes a splash in Himmatwala: But with the tag Thunder Thighs!

 

Q: Were you peeved by the tag--Thunder Thighs-- once given to you?
Sridevi: Ha! No, I didn't take that seriously. It was given to me at the time of Himmatwala. I was very chubby then, I weighed 75kg. At the time of Chandni, I lost weight and came down to 57kg, which I think helped me a lot to impve my dancing..."

Himmatwala released on 25 February 1983 in India, a runaway success where Sridevi wowed the nation. 

Legends line up; Amjad Khan, Kader Khan with Sridevi. 

The Reignition of Sridevi's Bollywood Career: Himmatwala in 1983

After the underwhelming performance of Solva Saawan in 1979, Sridevi's return to Bollywood came via the smashing success of Himmatwala, where though Jeetendra had the title role, Sridevi's entry, song and dance routines and confident performance is was taken note. A star was re-born as she went on to work in several films that year that went on to become stellar hits. In less than a year, Bombay's filmy press crowned her the new Number One actress of cinema, usurping Rekha, who seemed to have no problems with passing the baton. 

We need to do a deep dive on Rekha's empathy and kindness to innumerable starlets, actresses and newcomers as there are so many stories of her generosity, advice and direction that many have spoken about. Be it Shabana Azmi, Sridevi, or even Madhuri and Rani, none have a bad word to say about Re'. 

Himmatwala, as Sridevi said, was no Mughal-E-Azam, but a hit is a hit is a hit. The movie is tepid fare with strong visuals in the colourful song and dance routines. Sridevi really appears like a temple Goddess come to life, all curves, sparkles and expressions. A hallmark film only because it was a stepping stone that boosted the career of an actress who went on to become one of the biggest stars in the country - before the age of 21! 

Sridevi

Sridevi, 20, on the sets of Himmatwala. The chiffon net chunri, the silver bangles, the straight hair, the matching accessories... Sridevi gently was changing the fashion of the 1980s with her classic Indian styling and effortless elegance. 

As most stylists know, fashion in the 1980s was... questionable, but Sridevi brought her own charm to the scene. Doll-like Sri could pull off any look and as she was particular about how she was presented on the big screen, she took care of things others overlooked. From the way her face was lit to the angle of the camera, how her hair and makeup (which she often did on her own) looked, Sridevi was her own stylist, designer and wardrobe checker -- particularly when she became a top star and had the power to say yes and no to powerful industry stalwarts. Young Sridevi didn't have as much agency as superstar Sridevi did, but she worked her way to the very top!  

When asked by a journalist what happens when a choreographer dictates a rather suggestive move, she simply said, "They wouldn't dare!".          

Sridevi's shocking minis: Amjad Khan, Kader Khan with Sridevi in Himmatwala (1983)

 Sridevi's shocking minis: Amjad Khan, Kader Khan with Sridevi in Himmatwala (1983)

Sridevi in costume for the Tamil film Sandhippu (1983)

Sridevi, 20, in costume for the Tamil film Sandhippu (1983)

 

Sridevi and Jeetendra in Jaani Dost (1983)

 

Released on 27 May, 1983, Sridevi and Jeetendra in costume for the multi-star cast film Jaani Dost.

Movie had fun songs and the fashion was... well.. it was of its time! 

All of 20, young Sridevi looked like a doll in the movie. 

Krishnam Raju and Sridevi in the Telugu film Trisulam (1983)

Krishnam Raju and Sridevi in the Telugu film Trisulam (1983)

Sridevi and Jeetendra: 40 Years of Sarfarosh!

Sridevi, 21, and Jeetendra, 42, on the sets of Sarfarosh: TBT to early 1985. 

A rare flop among a slew of hits, the film is somewhat memorable for many Sridevi fans as it had the catchy Kishore Kumar number, "Sridevi Sridevi Sridevi Tu Nahin..." } performed on screen with no sense of irony by Jeetendra and... Sridevi herself!

The wiggy of it all - Jeetendra's! 

It appears as if Jeetendra styled himself like NTR in Sardar Paparayudu (1980) - the Telugu original version of Sarfarosh. While the original version was a blockbuster, hence remade (Sridevi appeared in both), the quick frame by frame Hindi version did nothing for the coffers of the film producer... er... Jeetendra! Jeetendra was successful, of course, but his fan following was nothing compared to NTR! 

Jeetendra's home productions rode the tide of hits and flops rather jarringly. He lost a lot of money (Deedar-E-Yaar) and then made some (Jyoti Bane Jwala & Pyaasa Sawan), and then lost again (Aag aur Shola). Overall, in the long run, the enduring legacy of the superstar lies in his business acumen - as he famously said on Comedy Nights with Kapil, his only goal in life in movies was to make money - he didn't care for any awards or accolades! Just rewards! He sowed the seeds that has led to the entertainment production behemoth his company has now become - led dutifully by his wife and daughter. Film production in India is serious business; rhino hide skin needed to survive! Just ask producer Boney Kapoor! The slings and arrows of critics are incessant and rewards infrequent. 

Released on 15 March 1985, though Sarfarosh was a surprise flop, the two leading stars Sridevi and Jeetendra barely felt the pinch, as the film preceded two hits, and followed two hits! 

Stars come and go, flops come and go, the enduring legacy lives on. 

RELATED FEATURES

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• Sridevi and Jeetendra films here.
• Sarfarosh gallery and featuers here.
• Sridevi in the 1980s 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 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 hit catapulted Sridevi to superstardom when she was all of 20! 

42 years ago, Sridevi's, indeed Hindi cinema's, the leading lady's, the concept of the heroine's trajectory changed. 

RELATED FEATURES

-------------------------------

• Himmatwala archive of images and features here. 
• Jeetendra and Sridevi together over the years here. 
• Sridevi's 1983 releases here. 

Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983): A Revelation

 

Exquisite Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983). Sridevi postcards and pictures were traded like currency among the fandom in the early days - long before social media, when the physical card, painting, or photograph was worth its weight in rupees. 

Yet another commercial hit at the Tamil box office, upon its release on 7 July 1983, Sridevi and Rajinikanth had another notch on their belt. A a typical 1980s Tamil commercial entertainer (directed by S.P. Muthuraman, with music by Ilaiyaraaja), loosely based on the Anastasia story via the 1972 Hindi film Raja Jani. It featured all the ingredients of a masala caper; drama, romance, action, and songs, which helped it appeal to mass audiences despite not being a blockbuster on the scale of some other Rajini films from that era.

Contemporary reviews are decidedly mixed. The prominent Tamil magazine Kalki criticized the film for lack of originality, calling it a derivative remake without much fresh appeal, while modern retrospective views (e.g., on Letterboxd) often describes the film as a  fun but uneven late-'70s/early-'80s style movie — energetic with songs and star power, but one that "wanes" toward the end.

The film didn't generate extensive in-depth critical essays that survive prominently today, as it was seen more as a star-driven masala entertainer than a prestige drama. Audience reception leaned positive for its entertainment value, star chemistry (Rajinikanth and Sridevi), and songs.

Sridevi's work stands out as the most consistently praised aspect of the film, even decades later: she played a dual role (or a village belle who impersonates the lost heiress), which showcased her range in emotional depth, grace, and transformation from rustic to regal. Fans and cinema writers frequently highlight her as "magnificent" — she "looks, acts, dances with such magnificence," with particular praise for her impishness, idealistic determination, beauty, and energetic dance sequences (often alongside Silk Smitha). 

Producers (like Dwarakish Chitra) and later tributes have called her a "powerhouse of talent" in the context of her Tamil films around this period, including this one. Overall, while the script and originality drew criticism, Sridevi's charismatic screen presence and performance were widely appreciated as a major highlight, helping elevate the film's appeal. The movie remains memorable today mainly for the Rajinikanth-Sridevi pairing and her work in it.

She was just 20 when she shot the movie, and already commanding attention in Tamil cinema. Today, she'll be forever remembered as not just a Tamil cinema icon, but an Asian superstar who gave 50 years of her life to Indian cinema with grace and dignity. 

Jeetendra and Sridevi in Mawaali (1983)

 Jeetendra and Sridevi in Mawaali (1983)

Sridevi in Red on the cover of Telugu magazine

 

Sridevi in red on the cover of Telugu magazine. Though this came out in 1987, it was shot years ago in 1983 from the sets of the film Sandhippu. 

You can see more from this shoot in earlier post here.

 

Sridevi in costume

Sridevi had this look and similar costume in Adhutha Varisu (1983), Jaani Dost (1983) and Adavi Simhalu (1983)!

Gorgeous, gorgeous Sridevi in Kirayi Kotigadu (1983)

 Sridevi. 

 She was sooooooooooo beautiful. 

Gorgeous, gorgeous Sridevi in the Telugu film Kirayi Kotigadu (1983)