Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi over the years

Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi over the years.

The initial Khuda Gawah review published in G magazine.  

A photo of the legends at the Khuda Gawah premiere. 

Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi in the film Inquilaab. 

After Khuda Gawah, did you know Manoj Desai wanted Amitabh Bachchan to direct Sridevi?!

Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi
at the premiere of Khuda Gawah, 
May 8, 1992 

Well, it was a rumour in the early 90s, after the stupendous success of Khuda Gawah that film producer Manoj Desai wanted Amitabh Bachchan to direct a film - with Big B and Sridevi in the lead... 

Ah. One can imagine... and dream...  

Sridevi and her costars: Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Rishi Kapoor

 Sridevi and her costars: Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Rishi Kapoor! 

 Stills from Khuda Gawah, Garajna and... can you guess the Jeetendra and Sridevi film?! One of many! 

Sridevi and her co:stars: Anil Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna

Wish I had a clearer scan of this feature and magazine. Sridevi with her costars Anil Kapoor, a rare pic with Amitabh Bachchan and another with Vinod Khanna. 

All on film sets; Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja, Khuda Gawah and the unreleased Garajna. 

Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi on stage: Jooma Jooma Nite from 1991

Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi on stage: Jooma Jooma Nite from 1991

More in the archive here. 

Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi and Kamal Haasan in Khabardaar (1984): Shelved Film from the 80s

All the acting powerhouses and superstars of that era together in one movie? What a film this could have been! Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Jaya Prada in the shelved but lavishly launched film, Khabardaar. Alas, the movie was never completed after a roaring launch in 1984. But we have an archive of images and stills of the movie here. 

Grok tried to amend and restore this rarely seen newspaper scan from way back when... Alas, it didn't do a brilliant job on AB Snr! More success with Sri and Kamal Haasan... 

Sridevi and Madhuri DIxit together at the premiere of Roop ki Rani...

Sridevi was 29 years old, and Madhuri Dixit was 25 years old during the premiere/release of
Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja in April 1993.

Amitabh Bachchan did, what no other film magazine editor or film producer/director could do for decades, bring together Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit, the reigning screen queens of Bollywood together. At a photocall at the grand premiere of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja back in April 1993. 

Only the Ramesh Sippy did the same years ago in 1987, but unfortunately the film Zameen was never completed so few saw the two together. 

Several magazine editors tried, but the two stars couldn't coordinate dates (a frequent excuse exercised by many stars, "date problems" is old hat), even choreographer Saroj Khan, who briefly indulged in the idea of directing a film couldn't get her two favourites together. Vogue couldn't get them together, Karan Johar couldn't get them to have "koffee" with him. The phrase iron hand behind velvet gloves comes to mind when thinking of the two most memorable Indian actresses of all-time... 

In Sridevi's second act, post marriage and motherhood, as both women dropped off the 'rat race', they were meeting more often, seen chatting together, they even did a Lux commercial together... The right project and director, and the right money of course, I'm sure it was just around the corner. Alas that fateful night on Feb 24, 2018... fate put a full stop to all our cinema dreams. 

Amitabh Bachchan posts image of himself flanked by Sridevi and Neelam

Amitabh Bachchan posts image of himself flanked by Sridevi and Neelam
 

Khuda Gawah: Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi's epic

Released on 8 May 1992, Khuda Gawah was an epic film that was a huge hit back in the 90s. Sridevi holding her own space in a Bachchan film has to be seen to be believed. 

Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan in Khuda Gawah

Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan in Khuda Gawah 

Released on 8 May 1992, one of the grand epic Hindi films released in the 1990s. 

Sridevi with Amitabh Bachchan in KBC: India's Who Wants to be a Millionaire was a ratings smash!

Watching Sridevi reminisce about her early days in the film industry... She was a treasure trove of experiences and information. A rich chapter of Indian cinema closed with her sudden and tragic passing. 

As Indian film journalism remains a nebulous fog of information and misinformation, these rare clips straight from the mouths of celebrities themselves is the closest we have to a factual account of what happened in the glory and early days of Indian cinema. 

 

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Amitabh Bachchan presents Sridevi her Best Actress Filmfare trophy for Chaalbaaz: Honouring the Big B's Birthday today!

Amitabh Bachchan presents Sridevi her Best Actress Filmfare trophy for Chaalbaaz! 

Big B, Amitabh Bachchan turns 83 today and remains the only actor of his age and stature still working as hard and as often as he does. He believes 'rest is rust' and that omen keeps the actor within alive and well, constantly raising the bar with one stellar performance after another. Box-office may or may not always be with him, but hardly anyone points a finger at his acting.  

 Amitabh, eternal light, simply the greatest Indian actor alive today. Bless him. 

Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi at the premiere of Khuda Gawah

TBT to June 1992 issue of MOVIE magazine, with this snap of superstars Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi at the grand premiere of the epic Khuda Gawah. 

More in the archive here.

 

Rare stills: Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi on the sets of Khuda Gawah

 Rare stills: Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi on the sets of Khuda Gawah

Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi's Cine Blitz centrefold: TBT to June 1986!

Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi on the sets of Aakhree Raasta back in the summer of 1986. A Cine Blitz centrefold!

Sridevi didn't love her role or this film (tbh neither did we!), but she did it for the producers who had long-supported her. Sridevi didn't sign a film with Bachchan until 1990 when Khuda Gawah was launched and she had equal (some might even say longer/meatier + double role!) footage and screen time as Big B! In show-biz, she understood both 'show' and 'biz'--Sridevi signed her biggest contract with this movie. 

 

The biggest Bollywood Premiere of ALL time: Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit

The entire Hindi film industry attended the lavish premiere of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja back in 1993. You name 'em, they were there, but all eyes were on that rare moments when Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit were in the vicinity of each other--nearly unheard of during the peak of their respective careers. 

These images went 'viral' before it was a term. Dozens of pics in the archive here. 
 

Rare poster: Sanjay Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi in Khuda Gawah!

One of the rarest pics found online, the first look of Khuda Gawah that went to print; Amitabh Bachchan with Sridevi and Sanjay Dutt - who left the film (or was dropped--depends on which media you believe in!) and was replaced by Nagarjuna. 

Films go through seismic casting changes often (Farah Khan was supposed to be in the movie too, Ajay Devgan was considered!), but after a scene was shot and with publicity stills that were published, it is rare for casting to go through a complete overhaul. But it did! 

Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi in Khuda Gawah: The famous poster of the 90s

Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi in Khuda Gawah: The famous poster of the 90s!

Left: The cast and crew at the epic audio launch of Khuda Gawah. 

 

The A-list of Bollywood; Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor

The A-list of Bollywood; Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor at the lavish premiere of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja.

As Anil himself quipped soon after, hit premiere, flop film... 

More photos of the all-star turnout at the most grand film premiere of the 90s here in the archive. 

Left: The pic here of Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit at the premiere of Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja is lovely and its fake! Well, half of it is. From the waist down, its AI trickery. The blight of fakery is corrosive, it slowly ruins facts to fiction and opinion.  

Rati Agnihotri, Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan: Rare photo at an event

Between shy Sridevi and recovering Amitabh Bachchan (post Coolie incident), doesn't look like a fun pic or time... 

Sridevi does look extremely pretty here tho'. 

Circa 1984