Showing posts with label age 16. Show all posts
Showing posts with label age 16. Show all posts

Friday, 3 April 2026

Sridevi: Keeps her hat on! 16-year-old Sridevi

Young teenaged Sridevi in the Telugu film... er... anyone recognise the movie?! 

UPDATE: Sridevi from the Telugu film Kaksha back in 1980.  

The 1980 Telugu Action Hit That Marked a Director’s Promising Debut

Kaksha (“Revenge”) emerged as a notable commercial success. Released on 28 March 1980, the film was produced by the legendary D. Ramanaidu under the banner of Suresh Productions and directed by V. C. Guhanathan in his Telugu directorial debut. With energetic action sequences, drama, and strong performances, Kaksha resonated well with audiences, earning a solid box-office verdict as a commercial hit.

The story revolves around themes of revenge and personal vendetta, typical of the era’s high-octane action dramas. The narrative follows a protagonist driven by tragedy and injustice, navigating family conflicts, intrigue, and redemption. The film blends intense action with heartfelt emotional arcs, a formula that appealed to Telugu moviegoers of the time. 

Music by K. Chakravarthy added to its appeal, complementing the dramatic tone. At the heart of Kaksha was a powerful cast led by veteran star Sobhan Babu in the lead role. Sridevi, then a rising young sensation, played the female lead, bringing her brand of charm and youthful appeal to the screen. 

Supporting roles featured talented actors including Jayachitra, Gummadi, Murali Mohan, Kaikala Satyanarayana, and Mohan Babu, among others. 

A striking aspect of the film was the significant age difference between its lead pair. Sridevi, was just 16 years old (turning 17 later that year) during the film’s release—already an established actress transitioning from child roles to lead parts. Her co-star Sobhan Babu, born on 14 January 1937, was 43 years old, showcasing the common on-screen pairings of the period where seasoned heroes shared the frame with youthful heroines.

Kaksha stands as a reminder of Telugu cinema’s 1980s dynamism, where action-packed revenge sagas thrived. The full movie is still available on platforms like YouTube via Suresh Productions, offering viewers a chance to revisit this classic hit. 

Thursday, 22 February 2024

Thursday, 26 October 2023

Sridevi in the controversial Tamil film Pakalil Oru Iravu (1979)

Young Sridevi in the controversial Tamil film Pakalil Oru Iravu (1979). A remake of the Malayalam film Aalinganam (1976), which was shot when Sri was just 13...  

As the story has complex, adult situations of premarital sex, abortion, memory loss, retrograde hysteria-with the predictable media only focusing on the sex-this Adult film, for its mature theme and plot, created quite a stir at the box-office in the South in the 1970s. For those looking for a salacious scandal, there's nothing explicit in the film. Everything is implied and off-camera. 

I do wonder though, what young Sridevi, who was just 13 when she shot the Malayalam film and 15, when she shot the Tamil (the movie released two days after Sridevi turned 16), was aware of at the time? 

I do wonder how often I can sweep everything under the carpet by saying, "It was a different time..." 





Friday, 14 July 2023

Friday, 5 November 2021

Sridevi's look in Solva Saawan (1979)


Sridevi's village belle look in Solva Saawan 
 
For years she had been essaying parts of a much older woman than her biological age and finally at age 16, she played the part of a 16-year-old in her first Hindi film Solva Saawan (16th Spring). A coming of age tale, a remake of her own smash hit in Tamil and Telugu, the Hindi film vie was a dismal flop.

Shot in one stretch over a period of 35 days in Jharkand, Sridevi didn't speak a word of Hindi and mouthed her lines while a dubbing artist did a voice-over for her. Her only film with Amol Palekar, she had great respect for the award-winning actor and director. 

However, when you look back on interviews Sridevi did while describing her experience working on her first Hindi (Bollywood!) film, it was abysmal from the get-go. 

Despite having done the Tamil and Telugu versions of the same film (which were blockbusters and garnered her much critical acclaim), by the time she started work on the Hindi version, she was bored beyond belief. She didn't speak the National language, Hindi, and was uncomfortable with the Bombay (pre-Mumbai!) team. What she remembers of it, she messed up her first take - a bad omen, she said she knew the film was destined to flop. 

Funnily enough, she wasn't too perturbed by the film's failure at the box-office as it meant, she wouldn't have to leave her home state. Sridevi famously said in her Tamil magazine interviews that she would do a few more films, get married and settled down, and bid movies adieu when she was in her early 20s. 

Destiny however had so much more for the young actress, who went on to become a legend in her own time. 

Tuesday, 6 April 2021

Sridevi with Sivaji Ganesan in Kavari Maan (1979)

Sridevi with Sivaji Ganesan in the Tamil film Kavari Maan (1979). 

Sivaji Ganesan was 51 when he shot the film and Sridevi, his co-star was... 16! 

Released on 6 April 1979. 

Saturday, 21 November 2020

Saturday, 15 August 2020

Sridevi in the Tamil film Pagalil Oru Iravu (1979)


Sridevi, age 16, in the Tamil film Pagalil Oru Iravu (1979) 

Released 41 years ago today! 

Reading through the synopsis of the film, a complicated plot that required Sridevi to act well beyond her years, it's incredible what Sridevi had already achieved while she was but a girl. 





Sunday, 4 August 2019

Sridevi at age 16 in Solva Saawan (1979)


Sridevi's first Hindi venture as a leading lady; Solva Saawan 



Sridevi with Dina Pathak