TBT: Sridevi hits the stage with Geeta Kapur, Farha Khan and other dancers

TBT: Sridevi hits the stage with Geeta Kapur and other dancers at for a star-studded show in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

February 17, 1993

Exactly 10 years younger than Sridevi, when choreographer and dancer Geeta Kapur was a newcomer to Bollywood, she worked with reigning queen of Bollywood Sridevi on several national and international shows. Be it Ms Kapur or Farha Khan, both have stated that even though Sridevi was a superstar in a league of her own, she admired her teachers and choreographers a lot and treated them with a great deal of genuine respect and affection. 

As Farha said, "Sridevi was a Goddess and had an incredible memory. I'd forget steps and routines, but she'd remember them from rehearsals from months before." 

As a judge on a reality tv dance show, Geeta said there will never be artist like Sridevi ever again. Now Ms Kapur is a noted celebrity judge and choreographer of note who has been charming the nation with her maternal encouragement of young, new talents that appear before her annually. She's emerged from Farha's shadows to become a choreographer and star of note, of her own merit. 

Sridevi on the cover Cine Blitz International: Sharing the cover with Kishen Kumar for the Indian edition: Feb 1993

Sridevi on the cover Cine Blitz International: Sharing the cover with Kishen Kumar for the Indian edition. 

Cine Blitz, February, 1993 special edition. 

Sridevi by Gautam Rajadhyaksha: Early 90s portrait for Cine Blitz magazine

 

Sridevi portrait for Cine Blitz magazine by legendary Indian photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha. 

Sridevi by Gautam Rajadhyaksha: Cine Blitz cover: February 1993

Sridevi poster - click to enlarge

Sridevi. Photographed by the late, great Gautam Rajadhyaksha for Cine Blitz magazine. 

Click to enlarge

A frame from this series was on the cover of Cine Blitz (Feb 1993) - which was bought out by Gulshan Kumar to launch his brother Krishan Kumar (who made a lacklustre debut in Aaja Meri Jaan).

It was a tragedy to see a small pic of Sridevi (around the time Gumrah was released) with a full page of Krishan Kumar - who made no shakes on the big screen, while Sridevi was already an icon by then. But such were the media ways those days where you could buy a cover - which btw is a practice that continues and all Indian magazines are guilty of!

To top it all, an audio cassette was included with the issue and despite media-eye rolls, the editor's tactic and T-Series' strategy, it clearly worked as Cine Blitz sold out that issue - the audio incentive did wonders.

Anyhoo, gorgeous Sridevi. How gloriously elegant she looks. Point to note, for the international edition however, serving the Indian diaspora for Bollywood fans beyond India's borders, the publishing house cleverly retained Sridevi - and ONLY Sridevi - for the cover. 

Second Take: Sridevi poses for the late great Gautam da

Sridevi looking fab. Throwback to Feb 1993!

Sridevi shot by the great Gautam Rajadhyaksha for Cine Blitz magazine. From the early 1990s. Stunning.