Sridevi

 Sridevi photographed by Jagdish Mali in 1984!

Sridevi's poster from Sarfarosh: The Cine Blitz centrefold from 1985!

The Sridevi centrefold and poster from Sarfarosh. Shot by Jagdish Mali.

-- Spring of 1985
 

 

Jeetu Corners Sridevi! Sridevi's first cover shoot for Cine Blitz in 1983!

Jeetu Corner Sridevi! Sridevi's first cover shoot for Cine Blitz in Dec 1983! 

See the entire series of shots from the cover shoot in the archive here.

Photos of Jeetendra and Sridevi by Jagdish Mali. 

Sridevi by photographer Jagdish Mali

Outtake from a cover shoot, from Feb 1986. Gorgeous Sridevi. You can see the entire series in the archive here. 

Sridevi's photograph by Jagdish Mali 

Sridevi on working with Amitabh Bachchan

Q: Prior to working with Amitabh, did you see his films?
Sridevi: One film I remember very distinctly is Don. I saw it because we intended to remake it for a South Indian version. I liked it very much, the music was great and Amitji was so good. Another film that I loved was the one where he and Jayaji played singers - yes, Abhimaan. Amitji is always so casual and sensitive on screen. I was always a fan of his. Of course later on, I saw a lot of his films. 

Q: In both your Amitabh starrers - Inquilaab and Aakhri Raasta - your roles were negligible. Did you sign the films only to star opposite him?
Sridevi: My role in Inquilaab was very small; and I had nothing much to do. But I was the only heroine, so I did't mind. After all, it was a good break for me. I did Aahkri Raasta, only because I had already signed Poornachandra Rao's other film, which was never made. I did the film because of my good relations with him. In Aakhri Raasta I had a small role, and there was also Jaya Prada and it would have made no difference if I was in it or not.

Today I would never accept such an offer, even if its with Amitji. It's not that I have become too big to be in his films. I wouldn't even mind a small role, so long as I'm the only heroine.

Q: Were you comfortable working with Amitabh or were you in awe of him?
Sridevi: When I first started shooting with him, I used to keep my distance. Just give my shot and keep away, but Amitji made me feel very comfortable. I was touched because he didn't behave like a superstar with me, or have any nakhras. He was very simple and very normal. He said he had seen Sadma and praised my acting a lot.

Q: After working with a wooden actor like ****, is it a challenge to work with an actor of Amitab's caliber?
Sridevi: Please, I would not like to comment, because I liked working with both of them. How can I say anything like this? But everybody knows the difference when acting and talent are concerned. What can I say? It is a challenge working with Amitji, because he is a great actor. But unusually in both my films with him, I had nothing much to do. 

Q: Having worked with both the superstars, Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna, could you point out the difference in their temperaments?
Sridevi: I was comfortable with both of them as far as working is concerned. But I cannot discuss them on a personal level as I am not close enough to either of them to know that. 

But there is a difference in the way they work in doing a scene. Amitji gets into a lengthy discussion with the director and co-star. In this way, we are able to improvise on the sets a lot. With Kaka [Rajesh Khana], it's not the same. He discusses only sometimes, depending on his mood. 

Q: Wasn't it your discreet affair with Amitabh that cut off your friendship with Rekha?
Sridevi: Don't be absurd. 

Left: Short interview with Sridevi by Cine Blitz magazine back in October 1986 - typed up above. Portrait of Sridevi by Jagdish Mali. 

Sridevi with Shahrukh Khan, Mohnish Behl, Sudesh Berry, Ronit Roy, Ravi Kisen and Harish Kumar in Army

Sridevi with her co-stars of Army shot by Jagdish Mali.

Sridevi with her Army star-cast including Mohnish Behl, Sudesh Berry, Ronit Roy, Ravi Kissen and Harish Kumar. 

Rare images of Shahrukh Khan on set - he had an extended guest-appearance in the film. Excerpt from an interview he did during the film's production:

Interview with Shahrukh Khan on the sets of Army by Cine Blitz, July 1996.

Shahrukh Khan, "...a very important reason was Sreedevi. I had nine films on hand and none of them starred Sreedevi. So this as my chance to work with a legend one had heard so much about. I wanted to find out what makes her tick. She's been around for almost 35 years and still looks great. Here's an actor like me who is exhausted after five years."


Didn't he feel he'd look like a boy as compared to her? *

"Oh come on! You can't put Sreedevi in the older woman bracket. I'm 31 and there's not much of an age difference between us."


Did he find out what keeps her ticking?

"One had heard about her switch on switch off performance. All I can say is, that one hundred per cent, I learnt a lot from Sreedevi. We have a song and about two or three scenes but it was a great experience."

NOTES:

Wow. The inherently sexist and ageist question pelted at Shah Rukh Khan, at the expense of Sridevi is just beyond... Shahrukh Khan is just two years younger than Sridevi, but the way the question is phrased, makes it sound as if Sridevi was ancient. It really reflects on how the Indian film industry -  Mumbai media in particular  - operates and sees women of a certain age as expendable. At the time, Sridevi was just 33!!

Let's turn the tables here. Shahrukh Khan at age 51 acted with Mahira Khan, age 32 - when Raees was her first Hindi film in Bollywood! No one seemed to have asked Mahira what she felt like while acting with someone 19 years her senior. As the Khans and Kumars hit 50+, their co-stars keep getting younger. 

While actresses like Sridevi, Madhuri and Juhi, the holy trifecta of Bollywood divas who ruled the roost in the 1990s, find it difficult to find age-appropriate costars in their films.