Sridevi: August 1989

Showing posts with label August 1989. Show all posts

Friday, 11 August 2023

Dancing Diva: Sridevi in Bollywood: Box Office Queen: Golden Gal

Released 34 years ago today, Sridevi's only sequel, Nigahein wasn't loved by the masses or critics like its predecessor, the box-office smash Nagina, but personally, am a huge fan of this one. Sridevi's extremely confident performance and her epic beauty, acting and dancing skills in full display - along with the finest Bollywood fashion of the 1980s. Her striking salwars and chiffon saris and of course her memorable and iconic dance costumes.

Contrary to popular media reports of the time, the film wasn't a flop, recovered its costs by a mile, but as it didn't reach the pinnacle of the box-office, was slightly written off. In fact, had it not been for Sridevi's other box-office smashes that same year (Chandni, Chaalbaaz and so on), this movie would probably feature more prominently in her cinematic cv.

Thursday, 11 November 2021

TBT: Yash Chopra's interview: Ode to Sridevi August 1989

Interview with Yash Chopra just before the release of the film Chandni - everyone in the team knew they had a winner on hand. You can read the entire interview in the archive here.

August 1989

Sunday, 5 January 2020

Yash Chopra's interview pre- Chandni release

Excerpt from an interview Yash Chopra did with Filmfare, back in August 1989, months before the release of the film Chandni. The jaw-dropping reveal here from the archive is, the original cast of Lamhe was... Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan!! Read on...

Filmfare: After the success of Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, teenage romances are in. Yet, Chandni is a mature love story with established stars.

Yash Chopra: I've never been interested in puppy love. My artistes don't run around trees, they are normal people who play their age. Chandni is about a middle-class girl and the romantic upheavals in her life. It's a very different film. Different, not in the sense that I'll be breaking new ground in film-making, but there's a freshness in its treatment, the fragrance of love will come through. Also, unlike Silsila which had a heaviness about it because of the extra-marital angle, Chandni is in a lighter vein, it does not have any sub-plots. Everything revolves around three characters.

You'll see a totally new Sridevi in Chandni. Her presence, performance and looks will make people sit up. After this film, she'll command a lot of respect in the industry, the kind which comes after an extraordinary performance. She'll join the class of Nutan, Waheeda, Hema, Nargis and Vyjanthimala.

Looking at the stills of the film, one is reminded of your old favourite Raakhee.
But then isn't Raakhee the most beautiful girl you've seen on the Hindi screen? (Laughs). No. what you say isn't true. Perhaps you feel that way because of the manner in which I have presented her. In my films, the heroines generally don't project a westernised look, they're always simply dressed in Indian clothes, mostly white, without any embellishments, the minimum of jewellery, no fancy hairdos. They project the girl-next-door look. Perhaps that's why one gets the feeling that I'm repeating them.

What made you chose Sridevi for Chandni, when she had the image of being a glamorous star?
My decision was instinctive. To be frank, I had seen just one film of hers. Moondram Pirai, the Tamil original of Sadma, and that too by accident. Amitabh had seen the film earlier, and wanted to see it again. I happened to be in Madras at that time and he invited me to join him. I had not seen any of Sridevi's commercial films like Himmatwala or Mawaali. I saw Mr. India and Nagina only after I had started working with her. Yes, I did see Aakhree Raasta, where has a small role. I felt a girl who could work with Amitabh so effortlessly, could work with any hero.

At one stage, you had considered making Chandni with Rekha and Amitabh.
Never. Soon after Silsila, I'd planned Lamhe with Amitabh and Rekha, but for various reasons, they couldn't' work together after Silsila. Of course I did mention Chandni to Rekha when she was working with me on Faasle. At that time, the script hadn't taken final shape. Kaamna Chandra, who'd written Prem Rog, approached me with the interesting story of a girl she knew. I was fascinated by the story, but I told her to change the narrative style..."

More Yash Chopra on working with Sridevi in Chandni here.

Monday, 24 December 2012

To Sri with Love - Yash Chopra: Director's interview prior to Chandni's release: "Sridevi seeps into a role"

An amazing article from the archives! Movie magazine's chat with the legendary director Yash Chopra.

The rumour is... Yash Chopra is in love with Sridevi.

The fact is... Yash Chopra is in love with Sridevi! But not, in the conventional sense.

He's in love with the idea of what she can do to his Chandni. She, in love with his ability to notice and capture in her, nuances no one has ever done before.

Their affair is called Chandni.

"I had planned Chandni with Rekha... But when I decided upon Rishi Kapoor as my hero, I felt a Rishi-Rekha pairing wouldn't jell with the audience.

Why not opt for Rekha, considering it's a heroine-dominated film, and drop Rishi?

Because I felt he is best romantic hero we have at present. I had to have him. I agree Rekha was very hurt and felt let down and was perhaps justified in feeling so, but we are still the best of friends. Aise jaghde to chalte rehte hain [Tiffs like this happens all the time].

The name Chandni evokes a beautiful visual - pure, soft, romantic.

I had already decided upon Chintu [Rishi Kapoor] and Vinod Khanna. Now I needed a girl to match up to them. It has to be either a newcomer or a superstar. Ever since I saw Sridevi in Moondram Pirai [the original of Sadma], I was determined to work with her.

Sridevi is electrifying, beautiful, mind-blowing.

With Mr.India and Nagina, her potential was touched, but it is still in the process of being tapped. With Chandni, she has surpassed all my expectations. She has never been photographed so lovingly. She has worn mini-skirts to sarees of all possible pastel shades. And there is no print, no embroidery, no richness in her sarees. She doesn't need it; she looks ethereal in simple sarees itself. So what if price-wise she didn't make any concessions? (grins).

Madhuri is good but Sridevi is better...

Even today, if I was to make Chandni, it would still be with Sridevi. I was the first to sign Madhuri, but Sridevi is indisputably the best. I am not undermining Madhuri's talent. If I say Amitabh is the best actor today, it doesn't mean Anil Kapoor isn't good enough.

Vinod's role is good but hasn't exactly fallen from heaven.

Any hero who signs a film called Chandni has to know that it is the heroine who will have the major role. Vinod's role is different, purely romantic., no action. Even the romance is not teeny-bopper. The stars don't chase each other around trees. They play their age on screen.. It's a mature love story.

Sridevi is no Lata but she's not besuri!

Yes, she has sung in Chandni. Her voice has its own charm, it's unique but calling her off-key would mean insulting not her but the music director Shiv Kumar Sharma and Hari Prasad Chaurasia, and they are the leading exponent of music today. Sridevi has put in a lot of labour for that song, it's a super hit.

Sridevi in Chandni (1989)

As a person she [Sridevi] is aloof. I know her only as Sridevi the actress.

She talks only about her work. It's not that she is rude to anybody, down to the spot boy; but then she is never friendly either. I feel she's involved largely with her family, her mother, her sister. As an actress she has this capacity of seeping into the role. Role main ghus jaati hai [she immerses herself inside the role completely]. When the camera is off, she is a totally different personality, preoccupied with her own little things. Aaram se baat kar rahi hogi. But when the camera is switched on, there is a magnificent transformation. This I think she achieves by shutting out the world totally for a shot. Her concentration power is fierce.