Tohfa: Biggest hit of 1984! Jeetendra, Sridevi and Jaya Prada arrive in 80s style!

 

Above: The cast and crew of Tohfa line up at the diamond jubilee celebrations; from L to R: Bappi Lahiri (the film's music director), Shakti Kapoor, ?, Jaya Prada, film producer D. Ramandaidu, Sridevi, Rajiv Kapoor, Jeetendra, K Raghavendra Rao and comedian, the legendary Asrani.  

A runaway success, the movie was the biggest hit of 1984. For the glamorous celebration of the Bollywood blockbuster, Jeetendra, Sridevi and Jaya Prada arrived all glam'd up! Silver jubilee functions were the norm in the era (ie a film celebrating a long, enduring run of 25 weeks!). Well, Tohfa was still running strong 60 weeks in, so the producers threw a lavish party and invited the Hindi film industry. 

Producer D. Ramanaidu and director K. Raghavendra Rao were beaming ear to ear as their modest budget film ran for over 25 weeks and was unbeatable at the box-office despite a jam packed year that included Amitabh Bachchan's Sharaabi and Inquilaab, Dilip Kumar and Yash Chopra's Mashaal and a slew of Rajesh Khanna films. To celebrate the silver jubilee, producer D. Rama Naidu hosted a lavish party at Adyar Gate Hotel, Madras, on April 14, 1985.

More images are in the archive of course! 

Rare Pic: Jaya Prada, D. Ramanaidu and Sridevi: April 1985

Rare pic of Jaya Prada, D. Ramanaidu and Sridevi at the silver jubilee celebrations of the film Tohfa - back in April 1985. The movie was the biggest hit of 1984! 

Dozens of pics in the archive here.

Soaps and suds party? Jeetendra and Sridevi did it back in 1985! Balidaan publicity stills

Soaps and suds party? Jeetendra and Sridevi did it back in 1985! 

Balidaan publicity stills. One of the many successful films of Sridevi and Jeetendra! Today is the 36th anniversary of this box-office hit. Putting the 'show' and 'biz' in show business. 

The movie is....ok, the two got a lot of criticism for the wet song and dance routines and gratuitous shower scene... but compared to what's on TV today, let alone in cinemas, this is tame by comparison. 

Released on April 26, 1985

Rare Pics: Tohfa Silver Jubilee Party: Sridevi, Jaya Prada, Jeetendra celebrate the success

click to enlarge

The cast and crew of Tohfa at the silver jubilee celebrations of the film - the movie was the biggest hit of 1984. Before the arrival of the 100-crore club, movies celebrated long weeks/months at the box-office, not entirely sealing their fate on opening weekend collections. 

In above pics, find the leads Jeetendra, Sridevi and Jaya Prada, producer D. Ramanaidu and director K. Raghavendra Rao.

To celebrate the silver jubilee, producer D. Rama Naidu hosted a lavish party at Adyar Gate Hotel, Madras, on April 14, 1985.  

If you look closely at one pic, also find Sridevi's sister Srilatha and niece/cousin Maheshwari

Below: The side-by-side comparison of how the film was made again - not just dubbed but re-shot entirely. Sridevi often said in interviews she didn't always enjoy re-shooting or re-making movies but when the movie turned out to be a success, she didn't mind it! 

Devatha was made in 1982 and after its stupendous success at the box-office, it was remade, frame by frame - but with Jeetendra as leading man - as Tohfa. Sridevi and Jaya Prada reprised their respective roles as sisters in the film. 

Above; Sridevi and Jaya Prada in Devatha - which was remade nearly frame by frame into Tohfa - both were major hits in their respective market. The Telugu film released in 1982, the Hindi in 1984.