Sridevi and Jeetendra in Tohfa (1984)

Released on 3 February 1984, with massive billboards of the stellar cast studded around Bombay (Mumbai later), no one saw Tohfa as a serious contender at the box-office, and yet, it ended up being THE biggest hit of the year. Like the average Salman Khan movie today, the Jeetendra flick didn't garner great reviews but pleasing the seven critics in town versus the millions of masses who did enjoy the caper was more important to the cast and crew of the blockbuster! Jeetendra famously said he was interested in his film (and himself) making money - rewards over awards any day. The young leading ladies--Sridevi was 21 and Jaya Prada was 22--just wanted to establish themselves in the Hindi belt after having found fame and success down South. It worked--and how! 

Sridevi and Jaya Prada in Tohfa (1984)

Sridevi and Jaya Prada in Tohfa (1984) 

Released 40 years ago in 8 Feb, 1984, it was the biggest hit of the year. 

 

Jeetendra and Sridevi in Tohfa (1984)

Jeetendra, Sridevi and Jaya Prada in Tohfa - released on February 3, 1984.

Sridevi and Jeetendra in Tohfa (1984)

Sridevi in Tohfa

Sridevi all bling'd out for the monster hit song 'Gori tere, ang ang mein' from Tohfa (1984). One of the many blockbuster dance numbers she did with Jeetendra.

Released soon after Himmatwala, followed up with this blockbuster, Sridevi quickly ran from obscurity in the Hindi belt to the top rung.  

Released on 3 February 1984. 

Tohfa (1984): Sridevi and Jeetendra dance up a storm: The Biggest hit of 1984

Sridevi's dances with Jeetendra were the highlight of the '80s masala pot-boiler Tohfa (1984).

From the song Gori tere, ang, ang mein. Sung by Aasha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar.

Icons of early 1980s in Bollywood, five years, 13 hits from the 16 films they appeared in together - an unprecedented run at the box-office. 

Jeetendra was a fine actor but a better businessman. He's said often in interviews that though he enjoyed working in films and the people in the industry, the only interest he had was making money - which he did abundantly, critics be damned. The seeds that he planted helped create the empire that now his children and wife lead. 

Dance off: Sridevi and Jeetendra