Sridevi Forever

 

Remembering Sridevi: Feb 24: A Tribute.

On the evening of February 24, 2018, at the age of 54 years, Indian actress Sridevi passed at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. She died of accidental drowning that fateful night and forever closed a rich chapter of Indian cinematic history so abruptly, innumerable students of cinema have been left reeling in shock. 

Fresh off the critical and box-office success of, what became her final film, Mom (2017), the Indian thespian was in talks with her favourite female director on a potential project, she (and her team) had allegedly met with the-then head of Netflix India, directors of note had penned film proposals, filmmakers young and old were conjuring projects that could only have taken flight with the winged aid of this actor par excellence, bolstered by the star wattage of her esteem and caliber. She wasn't a yesteryear star of faded aura or glory, but shining brightly, incandescent with a preternatural ability to perform and share her inner light with the world with such grace and tremendous dignity. 

Alas, alas, alas, destiny played a different cruel hand, and took the angel-faced cherub back to her final abode. 

We heard the news in our part of the world mid Feb 25, seven years ago. However, we didn't believe it until much later, when the honourable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi himself, took to social media to express his condolences on the passing of a national treasure, one of the greats in the Indian pantheon of artistes.  

How do we explain Sridevi to a foreigner or alien unfamiliar with her vast repertoire? A child star who segued into every stage of celebrity (without falling into its inevitable trappings) with ease. She was a teen actor, pinup, leading lady and legend in a span of two decades. A workhorse ("an acting machine" as the Bhatt brothers said of her), her drive and work ethic has no parallels in the East or West. 

She elevated herself from ingenue to legend with such unfathomable skill and preternatural ability. She was an actor, she was a star, she was a dancer, she was a phenomena; to many of us, she was a moving image that suddenly lay still; the seismic shock reverberated across the nation and for a dark day, the entire country seemingly stood still, watching her funeral procession and final journey one last time. 

As editors and publishers wrote on social media, we will never see another Sridevi again. 

It has been years now and it is still difficult to fathom the depth of this eternal loss. The impotent rage of the conspiracy theorists, the staggering incompetence of the hashtag #justiceforSridevi (you want to sue who? Brahma?!), these are all permutations of grief that have reared itself in ugly, thoughtless heads. Looking for blame and passing it on, like a virus that corrodes the mind of all logic and rationale. When the dust settles, and the harsh reality seeps through, all the stages of grief will harpoon through the erudite and the ignorant, in equal, eventual measure; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. 

Born Ayappan Sreedevi, she left Sridevi Kapoor, uniting the north, south, east and west in such inexplicable grief. 

How gracefully she lived, how quietly she left. How indelible her memory is. 

Sridevi proved she was both Anju and Manju back in 1989. In 2018, we bore witness that she was indeed mortal and yet, eternal... 

Ayappan Sreedevi: 1963 - 2018

 

Sridevi's sketch of herself: the artist

 Sridevi's sketch of herself: the artist 

Gorgeous Sridevi on the sets of Banjaran back in 1991

Gorgeous Sridevi on the sets of Banjaran back in 1991

Sridevi: Winner: 1989: Filmfare's Essay on Sridevi, looking back at her spectacular year

Sridevi: Winner: 1989: Filmfare's Essay on Sridevi, looking back at her spectacular year!

Excerpt: 

A controversial kiss and a much-published patch-up (professional) with 'good friend' Mithun could not see Guru through. Swaying hips and swinging pony tails could not make a success of Gair Kanooni. Despite her brave words, "I don't see any competition around," Madhuri came close to storming her citadel. However, Sridevi had a trump card in Harmesh Malhtora's Nigahein. A sequel to the earlier Nagina. It succeeded where Sherni had failed. Playing the snake-woman again, though definitely slimmer and sexier, this time she fixed the audience with a glassy stare and slithered back into the reckoning. 

Then came Chandni. An insipid love story, it nevertheless brought in the crowds and despite the presence of macho man Vinod Khanna and eternal lover-boy Rishi, it was Sridevi, a vision in trendy causal and soft chiffons, who caught the audiences' fancy. It was love at first sight and many sights thereafter for the besotted viewer as she squealed Chandni o meri Chandni and romped on the greens of Switzerland. Chandni gave her the confidence to carry off a double role Chaalbaaz, a bit like Hema had attempted in Seeta aur Geeta a decade ago. She'd survived the trials of the eighties and with Mama hinting at an early marriage and Anand Amritaraj showing much interest, she could well be licking outsized cones and munching candies in the nineties - Mama willing."

-- Filmfare, 1989

"Now I have to work at every single shot." 

Stop the Press: Sridevi Takes a Pay cut! 1984 Headline: K. Viswanath's Saptapadi entrances Sri: The Number One Star signs Jaag Utha Insan

Even as a child artist, Sridevi was well paid. When she was a newcomer in Bollywood, when steady offers were coming her way, she only consented to films when she was getting top billing and significant paychecks - from the get-go. She didn't need Bollywood, Bollywood needed her - the industry coveted her. She was a top star in the south and her salary was not secondary to any other leading lady in Bombay/Bollywood (and most men). 

In an interview, after the success of Chandni, Yash Chopra briefly mentioned how unshakable Sridevi (well, Sri's mother, the original momager!) was when it came to earnings and scale of pay. When Garajna producers asked Sridevi to slash her rates for the film, she point-blank refused and the completed film never saw the light-of-day. The entire cast, Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor included, joined Sridevi in refusing to budge on monetary concerns.

And yet, there have been examples here and there of Sridevi either working for free or slashing her remuneration for friends and legends. 

Like K Vishwanath. 

Telugu icon, master filmmaker K. Viswanath has directed some of the finest Indian films ever made. Deeply rooted in art, culture, storytelling, the plight of common man, social mores and social issues, he has helmed too many classics to list. For my generation, Sankarabharanam (1980) was the defining movie of his incredible career. Not only was the film a blockbuster, it swept the state and national awards.   

The director's firm favourite and most-often collaborated artist was Jaya Prada in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. Together they did brilliant work in Sanjog, Sargam, Saagar Sangam, Kaamchor and several other films. 

When the Telugu film Saptapadi (1981) was being remade in Hindi, predictably, the offer first went to Jaya Prada and then Dimple Kapadia. Both couldn't do the film either because their diaries were full... (or so they said) or the remuneration was too low. 

Sridevi wasn't even in consideration in the early days as she was already one of the highest-paid actresses, with a series of Hindi film hits behind her. Early on, magazine features described her as one of the highest-paid leading ladies of Indian cinema that kept the art-house directors at bay, if not miles away.  

However, when Sridevi got wind that the leading lady part of Insan Jaag Utha (the original title - the words changed order later Jaag Utha Insan!) was still up for grabs, she made a grand concession to simply work with the maestro K Viswanath. 

Film producer Rakesh Roshan - who also acted in the film - was surprised how willing and cooperative the professional actress - and the defining Number One Star - was for this modest movie. So impressed by her work ethic, acting and dancing skills, Roshan offered Sridevi several films thereafter and the two worked together on and off throughout the 1980s and 90s.  

Pity the Hindi version of the Saptapadi nose-dived at the box-office. The forbidden tale of a love story between a Harijan boy and a Brahmin Girl, played by Mithun Chakraborty and Sridevi respectively, didn't find favour among the teeming masses. The audience was in no mood for something so sombre and so tragic. 

Funnily enough, it was the same year Sridevi was ruling the box-office, she had three films in the top ten, Naya Kadam, Maqsad and the biggest hit of 1984 Tohfa. 

Truth be told, all those three movies are not as good or great cinema like Jaag Utha Insan, but they were fun and frothy - the audience clearly was in no mood to see a pedantic film on the ills of the caste system. But they were all up for the jhatkas between the matkas.  The classical and semi-classical dances in this film are easily some of her finest - and yet, fewer people have seen it. 

We've seen the film several times just to look back in awe of the polished, flawless performance of a young, 21-year-old Sridevi. Draped in myriad south-Indian sarees, she looks stunning throughout the film and its such a finely honed performance. 

Below: Sridevi and Jaya Prada: musical chairs. 

Sridevi digital art

Sridevi fan art astounds us constantly. 

Sridevi fan art

Sridevi in the 90s, Sridevi in the 80s. Above fan art by Puneet and others...

Sensuous Sridevi in black lace

Sridevi experimenting with her styling and looks for a shoot with Shantanu Sheorey. 

The photographer is finally on social media at https://www.instagram.com/shantanusheorey/?hl=en

Dabboo Ratnani's portrait of Sridevi for Cine Blitz

@manishadratnani
A Beauty Like No Other .... You Are Missed 💖 An Integral Part of #25yearsofdabbooratnani @manishadratnani @dabbooratnani Happy Birthday #sridevi madam 🌺

Sridevi

Sridevi's Madhubala inspired shoot

About 40 years separate the shots but kudos to the photographers of India for these portraits of iconic Indian actresses Madhubala and Sridevi. 

Sridevi on instagram tumblr and twitter

Reworking archival images of Sridevi with social media apps, fans are still keeping Sri alive online on social media platforms. It's so great to especially see images that are new even to us - and we've been posting about Sri since yahoo group days over 17 years ago!! 

From the original photographs of Rakesh Shreshta and Gautam Rajyadhyaksha, here's Sri once again. 

Sridevi

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Rare Pic: Smiling portrait of Sridevi

From circa 2012-2013... Pretty in pink, Sridevi

Sridevi on the sets of Sherni (1988)

Rare pics of Sridevi on the sets of the film Sherni (1988)

Early on Sridevi was commanding title roles, top billing and ample scope to perform. 

Sridevi

From starlet to superstar, the journey of Sridevi in Indian cinema is the rarest of phenomenons. She transitioned from child star to legend with such ease, there isn't a moment in her life that Sridevi remembered when she wasn't famous.

Sridevi's cover shoot outtakes for Cine Blitz magazine

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Was a small picture on the cover of Cine Blitz in the early '90s - gorgeous Sridevi, shot by Gautam Rajadhyaksha.

Sridevi on the sets of Gumrah (1993): Yash Johar with Sridevi on set

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Gorgeous, introspective Sridevi on the sets of Gumraah (1993). Sridevi still from the set - and from the movie. So beautiful. Still might be by Gautam da... or Rakesh... someone pls confirm. 

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Producer Yash Johar with Sridevi in Hong Kong - on the sets of Gumraah

Sridevi

Portrait of Sridevi from the sets of Sur Kshetra back in 2012. So pretty in pink.