Can't take your eyes of Sridevi: The face, the great, the gorgeous Indian actress

 Can't take your eyes of Sridevi: The face, the great, the gorgeous Indian actress 

Why R Balki won't do tributes to Sridevi

Sigh. 

In many ways we feel the same... 

Sridevi and family with Gauri Shinde and R Balki: Kapoor's night out: Jan 2018

Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor were snapped outside a popular restaurant in Mumbai. They were joined by filmmakers R Balki and Gauri Shinde as rumours swirl of a collaboration between the actress and the filmmakers.

Rumours in the blogsphere indicated that Sridevi and Gauri Shinde were planning to unite five years after the success of English Vinglish on another project. Sridevi indicated that a collaboration is in the offing when she shared a picture of Gauri and her, with a quote, ‘Coming Soon’ in the caption.

Alas, we'll never know what could have been as within the ensuing month, Sridevi passed away tragically.

23 January, 2018

R Balki on Sridevi's sudden demise

Sridevi and Janhvi head to watch Padman

Stunning Sridevi went to support the makers of the highly anticipated film Padman. Helmed by the ace filmmaker R Balki, with Sridevi's ex-costar Akshay Kumar (in the diabolically awful Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin), Sridevi's enduring affection for the Balki-Gauri Shinde team continues as she has attended the screening/and/or premier of their films since Cheeni Kum days.

With tremendous online speculation that Sridevi will collaborate with Balki on screen, we "hope" (productions!) and pray that it comes true.

Team hope! Gauri Shinde, Sridevi and Balki

Here's the team of hope productions with their leading lady Sridevi! And indeed, we fans are collectively hoping that the magical behind-the-scenes duo, writer/director Gauri Shinde and the multi-faceted R. Balki, get together for yet another film Sridevi. 

The magic of English Vinglish - a collaborative effort that's spell-binding - cannot be denied and must be replicated in another film. Somehow, somewhere.


Well, here's hope-ing!

R Balki: Sridevi is an Original

Excerpt from an interview with R Balki Images from the archives of when Sridevi interacted with producer of the film English Vinglish, R Balki, and his wife writer/producer/director Gauri Shinde.

Excerpt from Times of India: Each of your films seem to be concept based and extremely original.
I don't want to make a great film or a funny film. I want to try an idea that has not been done before. That is my trip. I am also a fan of people who have tried something different and have originality written all over them. For instance, Amitji is an original. You can't have another Amitabh Bachchan. Ilaiyaraaja is an original. PC Sreeram is an original, Sridevi is an original. People ask me what I like the most about Dhanush. It is that he is an original. Being original is a rare commodity in our industry and that is what I am hungry for.  

From TOI.  

Update: This was the last dinner Sridevi and her family had with Gauri Shinde and R Balki. 2017.

R Balki

Will he or won't he? There are innumerable twitter posts that Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan have signed up for R Balki's next. Which is great news - if only either Sridevi or Amitabh Bachchan or Balki himself would confirm it!

We would be elated by the news - Balki is a brilliant, brilliant director - but so far, its online rumours. So lets not get carried away until someone official assures us!

Party in honour of Padmashree Sridevi: Bollywood turns up to celebrate with Sridevi

Sridevi and family!

Days following Sridevi being conferred with the Padmashree, India's fourth highest civilian honour given by the President of India, Subrata Roy, of Sahara Parivar, threw a lavish bash to celebrate Sridevi's win. 

At Saharashree's suburban five-star hotel, a roster of celebrities from all across India congregated to congratulate the gorgeous actress, including singers Sonu Nigam, directors Madhur Bhandarkar, Gauri Shinde and R Balki, the Kapoors of course (Anil, Sanjay and their spouses), Sri's long-time co-star of innumerable films Jeetendra, actors Anupam Kher, Madhu, Shabana Azmi, lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar and so many others.

Said Boney Kapoor at the event, "Why shouldn’t I be proud [of Sridevi]? You name one other actress who has had a 40-year innings and made a comeback like hers. Sri is the only actress to have played the lead with two generation of actors in the South and North. In Telugu cinema, she has starred opposite both NT Rama Rao and his son. In Bollywood, she has worked opposite both Dharmendra and Sunny Deol. She should have got the Padma Shri long back. But never mind. We’re celebrating her success belatedly.”

Clad in a resplendent Manish Malhotra outfit, Sridevi shone like the superstar she is.  

"I am the biggest Sridevi fan," said Boney Kapoor as his wife Sridevi looked on. 

Video clip below. 

Above: Jeetendra with Sridevi

Below: Sridevi and Anil Kapoor pose for the shutterbugs 

Sridevi and her eldest daughter Janhvi Kapoor 

Above: Sridevi with Prabhu Deva 

The Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja team; Anil Kapoor and Sridevi with actor and director Satish Kaushik. 

Sridevi with her sister-in-law Maheep Kapoor (wife of Sanjay Kapoor, youngest brother of Boney Kapoor) and Boney Kapoor 

Jeetendra and Anupam Kher flank Sridevi; both actors worked in several films with Sridevi. Said Anupam Kher, "Sridevi is my favourite actress and I've worked with her in many films - she should have gotten the award a long time ago."

English Vinglish's writer and director Gauri Shinde with her muse, Sridevi 

Below: Anil Kapoor with Sridevi and Satish Kaushik 

Celebrity designer Manish Malhotra with his frequent muse Sridevi 

Sridevi's eldest daughter Janhvi Kapoor looked pretty in pink - the question hovering in the night - when will she make her debut in films? 

Designer Manish Malhotra with Sridevi

Sridevi with singer Sapna Mukherjee

Above: Sridevi with Prabhu Deva, Sridevi with Gul Panag (former Miss India and actress) 

Srdevi with Swapna Roy

Below: Sridevi with her sister-in-law Sunita Kapoor (wife of Anil Kapoor, mother of Sonam Kapoor)

Renu Namboodiri with Sridevi and director Madhur Bhandarkar

Gauri Shinde, Sridevi and R Balki