Sridevi on the sets of Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin with director Pankaj Parasher back in 1993!

Sridevi on the sets of Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin with director Pankaj Parashar back in 1993. Had this film been shot, edited, and produced properly, it had all the ingredients of a potential comic classic. Instead, released a staggering 11 years after its original production schedule - as clearly marked on the clapboard - the final cut that stumbled into theaters in 2004 was a stitched-together, nonsensical patch-job. 

If the producer had shown any foresight, he would have coordinated a proper schedule with Akshay Kumar and Sridevi and the original director, to complete the remaining portions once she returned to the screen post-marriage and motherhood, looking as radiant as ever. 

Instead, what reached audiences was a jarring, amateurish editing effort that proved painful to endure—especially for fans of Sridevi and Akshay, who had waited over a decade to see the duo in a worthy feature. A frustratingly squandered opportunity for all involved.

Sridevi with Akshay Kumar and director Pankaj Parasher on the sets of Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin in 1994

Sridevi with Akshay Kumar and director Pankaj Parasher on the sets of Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin in 1994!

Recently, a passing comment made by Sridevi has been taken wayyyy too seriously by the media. It is alleged that Sridevi joked with the film director Pankaj Parasher, to tell Akshay Kumar to learn his lines, after he fumbled take after take on set. Clearly this was spoken in humour and Sridevi and Akshay remained cordial. In fact, Akshay Kumar said later that Sridevi was a dream of many and it was an honour to work with her. 

Chai se zyada tili garam... comes to mind as we read these viral headlines! 

I found this interview great fun as so many rare things about Sridevi have finally been revealed on the record. 

Sidharth Kannan's tell-all YouTube show has a great following, my only jibe would be that when the guest speaks with delusional sense of grandeur and self-aggrandizing quotes are thrown out, he doesn't try to fact check or pop their balloon filled with petard. But I suppose manners and etiquette prevents him from rolling his eyes to their face. Delusional wannabes who blame the industry for their own lack of success and lackustre turn. 

Now its interesting with Pankaj Parashar as in his long career, he's made two great things; one TV show (Karamchand) and one good film (Chaalbaaz - which was a near-complete take on... well, as you all know Seetha aur Geetha/Ram aur Shyam etc). Pankaj Parasher's track record is a long list of ignoble failures and the stats don't lie;

Imagine if your pilot or doctor had a success rate of 36 percent. Would you work with him? All the wizardry and talent he showed when he was in his 20s and early 30s, dissipated real fast. There are constant threats that he's going to make a sequel to Chaalbaaz and Jalwa (a hit, but tbh not a very good movie!), but really, so far nothing solid seems to be in the horizon. Gosh, was he just a flash in the pan? It's not that Bollywood is not kind to newcomers or outsiders; it's downright cruel to box-office blimps. Nothing succeeds like success but lady luck has consistently avoided the happy-no-lucky director.