Sridevi in 1984 : At the launch of the Hindi film Govinda: Produced by Boney Kapoor!

Sridevi, 20, at the mahurat/launch of Govinda - a film produced by Boney Kapoor, with co-star Anil Kapoor. The movie went nowhere beyond launch... the team instead went on to make a little film called... Mr.India.

 

Hindi: पारिवारिक फिल्म साप्ताहिक मायापुरी 

Transliteration: Pārivārik Film Sāptāhik Māyāpurī

English Translation: Family Film Weekly Mayapuri

The pull quote from the cover, "I don't sign films based on who the hero is..." 

Sridevi in 1984

 

Sridevi at the launch of the Hindi film Govinda (1984). Produced by Boney Kapoor with co-star Anil Kapoor, it was the first time Sridevi worked with the Kapoor home banner. However, the film never went beyond the mahurat.

More images in the archive here, here and here.

Birth Anniversary of Yash Chopra: Sridevi's finest producer/director in Bollywood

Birth Anniversary of Yash Chopra: Sridevi's finest producer/director in Bollywood. Seen here, at the launch of Govinda (shelved film), at the premiere of Chandni in Mumbai and at the launch of Teerandaz (shelved film).

Sridevi as the village belle: Gorgeous Indian actress

Sridevi as the village belle: Gorgeous Indian actress. Such similar styling for two different films. Left, Sridevi at the launch of the (shelved) film Govinda (1984) and on the right, Sridevi in Nazrana (1987). 

TBT: Sridevi in 1984: At the mahurat / launch of Govinda

 TBT: Sridevi in 1984: At the mahurat / launch of Govinda

TBT: Sridevi and Anil Kapoor on the cover of Stardust, March 1985

 

A 36 year throwback! Stardust cover shoot with Anil Kapoor and Sridevi - pre publicity shots for what eventually became Mr.India. Well, Mr.India was released in the summer of 1987, there was a mahurat at the end of 1984 for a film called Govinda - with a tan Anil Kapoor and a village-belle look for Sridevi. But that never got made.

This shoot was done for Stardust. 

TBT: Javed Akhtar, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor: When Boney first met Sridevi

Jab they met: At the launch of the film Govinda, produced by Boney Kapoor back in 1984, here's the first official picture of Sridevi with Boney Kapoor together. Ever.  

The launch was epic... but the movie was never made. Instead, the Kapoors went on to make a little film called... Mr.India! 

In our vast archives, we think this is the first official picture we have of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor meeting as its the earliest one we could find. As film producer, Boney Kapoor was aware of the Sridevi phenomenon already as he had seen Tamil films with the star of the south in the late 70s. When Sridevi hit Bollywood with a bang in 1983, soon after, he signed her on. They went on to work in Mr.India, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Judaai and finally, Mom.  

Sridevi looks like a doll here - and look how young and thin writer/lyricist/poet Javed Akhtar looks. Between Boney Kapoor's cleavage and paunch, we don't know where to look....  

More stunning image of Sridevi at the launch here in earlier post.

Sridevi and Anil Kapoor's look for the film Govinda here.

Anil Kapoor and Sridevi's cover shoot for Stardust for the film here.

Sridevi at a launch of the film Govinda in 1984: Her first film with Anil Kapoor

Sridevi clings on to an uber-tanned Anil Kapoor at the launch of the Boney Kapoor film titled Govinda back in 1984. 

The movie got shelved, but the two went on to do Mr India together instead. 

Sridevi at the mahurat (launch) of Govinda (1984) : Shelved from from the 80s in Bollywood

 

Sridevi at the launch of the film Govinda (with co-star Anil Kapoor, produced by Boney Kapoor!) back in 1984. The movie was launched before Mr.India but the project never took off, instead the film was scraped and the big-budget bonanza Mr.India came into fruition (and went on to become a classic).

The two even did a cover shoot for Stardust magazine with a new look for Sridevi and Anil Kapoor - see images from that shoot here.

At the launch, Sridevi met many people her illustrious career became entangled with. A young Javed Akhtar and Boney Kapoor flank her in the pics below. And a surprise appearance by producer/director Yash Chorpa at the launch had the industry abuzz.

Upon recommendation by Amitabh Bachchan, Yash Chopra had seen Sadma and been wanting to work with Sridevi since the mid '80s - he finally worked with her in 1988 in Chandni (the film was released in Sept 1989!)and then again in Lamhe of course. In several interviews he stated the greatest actress he's worked with has been Sridevi (actor, he said was Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan). The common thread all three superstars had, their ability to surprise him and a seemingly endless talent pool.

These images of Sridevi taken at the launch went viral in print and we've seen various photographs taken from that day in print in several media outlets. Wonder what this film was about... wonder what it could have been like on the big screen... Sridevi's village belle get-up, Anil Kapoor' tan, rough and rowdy look...

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