Sridevi as a child artist: With her mother Rajeshwari

 

Sridevi always said, whenever she was on set, her mother was always by her side. There are several images online of young Sridevi as a child artist and her mother, manager, protector and bodyguard, Rajeshwari Ayappan (born Rajeshwari Reddy!) is within the frame.  She kept the wolves at bay... if you know, you know. 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari and sister Sreelatha

 

Well, technically its Sreedevi not Sridevi (have you seen her autograph?!) but film credits - including Lamhe, Sadma etc. spell it out as Sridevi so... 

This pull quote from Cine Blitz;

Sridevi, "Even as a child, I was never one amongst many because my parents were never desperate for me to be in films."

Collecting all the quotes regarding Sridevi's youth, her days as a child artist and her unwavering reach to the top. There is a false narrative floating online that suggests that Sridevi was forced into working in films, this is blatantly not true. Sridevi has repeatedly stated it was she who wanted to act. 

Sridevi and Sreelatha with their mother Ayappan Rajeshwari: Happy Mother's Day

Sridevi with her only sister Sreelatha and their mother Ayappan Rajeshwari (né Reddy). In honour of Mother's Day--every day is mother's day!-- you can see our huge archive of images of Sridevi with her beloved mother here.  
 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari

Sridevi in the early 1990s with her mother Rajeshwari. 
 

Mother's Day 2026!

Sridevi with her sister Sreelatha and mother Rajeshwari

 Sridevi with her sister Sreelatha and mother Rajeshwari 

Sridevi (and family) with MGR, Jayalalithaa: Of Power and Politics

Sridevi, Rajeshwari [Sridevi's mother] with Jayalalithaa 

Sridevi, MGR, Ayappan and Rajeshwari [Sridevi's parents]

 

Let's do a quick name check and fact check here; 

Sridevi was born Ayappan Sreedevi - not anything else. 

Sridevi's mother was born Rajeshwari Reddy, post-marriage, she was Ayappan Rajeshwari. 

Sridevi's father was Ayappan Naidu. 

The dive into the name and heritage in the archive here.

All in the family: Sridevi with her parents: An over edited fake Ai pic + the originals!

Above: A fake AI generated image of Sridevi with her parents
Below: The real pics published in Tamil film magazines

 

Sridevi with MGR and her parents Ayappan and Rajeshwari: Birth Anniversary of MGR!

Sridevi with MGR and her parents Ayappan and Rajeshwari 

Today, 17 January, is the birth anniversary of MGR. For new gen, westerners, you have nooooo idea how huge an icon MGR was back in the day...

Let's remind people again that Sridevi was born Ayappan Sreedevi, that's her only given name. In films, it morphed into her famed mononym; Sridevi. I've done the deep dive several times, but a reminder in the archive here.

 

Rare pic of Sridevi's 27th birthday: Boney Kapoor, Rajeshwari (Sridevi's mother) and Sridevi

 

A picture posted by Boney Kapoor has sparked a furious debate on his comments section. We are... refraining from further comment.

But lovely to see a happy Sridevi with her family and friends celebrating her birthday. 

 

Rare pics of Sridevi at the premiere of Gumrah: Sanjay Dutt, Yash Johar, Soni Razdan, Anupam Kher, Mahesh Bhatt

Rajeshwari (Sridevi's mother) with Sridevi 

Rare pics of Sridevi at the premiere of Gumrah: Sanjay Dutt, Yash Johar, Soni Razdan, Anupam Kher, Mahesh Bhatt. Released on 24 September, 1993, Yash Johar produced, Mahesh Bhatt directed Gumrah was the seventh highest grossing film of the year. Celebrating 32 years of this memorable film. 

Sreelatha, Sreedevi, Rajeshwari: The Ayappan Ladies

Sridevi's only sister, youngest Sreelatha, posted this rare photo of the family. Superstar Sridevi in the centre, flanked by her beloved mother Rajeshwari (the original mom-ager!) and younger Sreelatha aka Latha, during happier days. 

The nation lost an iconic actress, this family lost their centre. 
 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari, sister Sreelatha

 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari, sister Sreelatha

All in the Family: Sridevi with her near and dear in Madras: TBT 1989

Photographed by the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha for Cine Blitz magazine, Sridevi with her entire family in their Madras mansion.

Sreelatha, Sreedevi, their father Ayappan Naidu, Ayappan Rajeshwari, Maheshwari... 
 

 

Mother's Day Special: Sridevi with her mother and sister

Mother's Day Special: Sridevi with her mother and sister 

L: Sreelatha (Sridevi's younger sister), Rajeshwari (their mother) and Sridevi. 

 

Mother's Day Special: Sridevi talks about her mother Rajeshwari

 

Mother's Day Special: Sridevi talks about her mother Rajeshwari

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari: Mother's Day Special

 Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari: Mother's Day Special. 

 Rare digitally colourised image of a vintage pic. Sridevi must be 14-15 or so here. 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari : Happy Mother's Day!

First born to Ayappan Rajeshwari (nee Reddy) Sridevi was close to her mother and rarely left her side. Today, in honour of Mother's Day (every day is mother's day!), we look back at the OG momager, the strict, sari-clad, sensational Rajeshwari. 

Rajeshwari Reddy was from Andhra Pradesh, and her native land is Tirupathi. When she married Tamil lawyer Ayappan Naidu, she became Ayappan Rajeshwari (as is the norm in the south of having surname leading before name). She had two daughters; eldest Sreedevi, then Sreelatha. When you find original autographs of Sridevi, she always signed off simply as A, Sreedevi. aka Ayappan Sreedevi. 

Every other iteration of Sridevi's alleged name is wrong - and widely circulated without verification of simple fact-checking! 

In fact, we are aware our site is essentially mislabeled, it should be "Sreedevi" not "Sridevi!" But every credit in films, it has been spelt "Sridevi" as we are honouring the professional work of the iconic Indian actress, we are taking her professional nomenclature. 

Before Sridevi became an enduring icon of Indian cinema, the foundation of her extraordinary journey was laid by her mother, Rajeswari. Long before she became the legendary stage mother who famously managed every aspect of her daughter’s soaring career, rumours have it that Rajeswari harboured artistic ambitions of her own in the bustling film studios of Madras [which became Chennai later!].

Hailing from Tirupati, Rajeswari arrived in Madras during the golden era of South Indian cinema. Drawn to the vibrant arts scene, she initially ventured into local drama troupes and stage plays. Her ambition eventually brought her to the movie sets, where she made fleeting, uncredited appearances in black-and-white Tamil and Telugu productions during the 1950s and 1960s. Working primarily as a background extra and group dancer, her brief moments on celluloid went without screen credits or formal documentation, leaving her filmography lost to early trade history.

Sridevi's mother (L) and grandmother (R). 
The caption is referring to Janhvi Kapoor
ie that's Janhvi's grandmother and great-grandmother! 

Realising that a successful acting career was not in her destiny, Rajeswari shifted focus after marrying lawyer Ayyappan. When her young daughter displayed an innate talent for performance, Rajeswari channeled her unfulfilled artistic passions directly into nurturing Sridevi's path. Entering the industry as a child artist at just four years old, Sridevi had in her mother a fierce protector and sharp manager. Rajeswari took complete command - navigating contracts, handling finances, and curating film roles across Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema. 

Below clip trending on social media (Instagram mostly) of the generation of ladies who were seen on the big screen. Please do note - this has not been verified by anyone in the family and as its on Insta', we take newsbyte on this with a pinch of salt. Until the family confirms whether she was or wasn't an actress, we can only assume - going by what's been circulated online with this short clip to back it up. 

When it came to protecting Sridevi’s career, the "momager" was an uncompromising force. Legendary for her ironclad negotiation tactics, her stance on remuneration was absolute: if a producer wanted Indian cinema’s premier star in their film, they paid full price - ask Yash Chopra or Boney Kapoor! 

Her oversight extended far beyond financial contracts. She maintained absolute creative control over Sridevi’s styling and visual presentation - famously refusing to let producers cut her young daughter’s hair to suit a role. Driven by a vision for Sridevi’s long-term artistic legacy, Rajeswari actively sought out meaty, central characters, ensuring her daughter was never relegated to mere eye candy beside the leading men. 

Surprisingly progressive for her era, Rajeswari paid little mind to conservative social mores, comfortably greenlighting bold, high-fashion outfits in the 1970s that frequently scandalised traditionalists. To further protect her daughter’s reputation and career in a turbulent industry, she even educated herself in legal matters. Whenever media outlets or industry insiders crossed a line into defamation, Rajeswari was quick to file lawsuits, establishing a formidable shield that allowed Sridevi to reign supreme on screen.

While Rajeswari's own time in front of the camera was brief and forgotten by film registers, her brief experience in the studios gave her the industry acumen needed to build one of Indian cinema's greatest superstars. Her brief stint on set ultimately laid the groundwork for a unmatched legacy behind the scenes.  

Title card from Banjaran

Title card from Moondram Pirai

Sridevi with her parents: her lawyer father Ayappa Naidu, and mother Rajeshwari

Ayappa Naidu and Ayappan Sreedevi

Sreedevi with her mother Rajeshwari 

Its Sreedevi not Sridevi. As all her autographs show! 

But in film credits, it's always Sridevi..... so Sridevi it is for Bollywood's global audience. 

Sridevi with her parents, father Ayappa Naidu (father) and mother Rajeshwari (né Reddy). 

Sridevi with her family in Madras: Pre Chennai days

Sreelatha (Sridevi's youngest sister), Rajeshwari (Sridevi's mother) and Sreedevi! 

Sridevi flanked by her parents. 

 

Mother's day coming up tomorrow - a reminder to all - so pulled out this pics from the archive of Sridevi with her beloved family in Madras - before they named it Chennai. 

Mothers and daughters: Siblings and stars

Sridevi flanked by her daughters Khushi Kapoor (L) and Janhvi Kapoor (R) 

Sreelatha (Sridevi's younger sister), Rajeshwari (Sridevi's mother) and superstar Sridevi