Stunning Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983)

 

Released on 7 July 1983, the year Sridevi, 20, stormed Bollywood with one hit after another with "Jumping Jack Jeetendra" ... Mumbai tabloids coined several phrases that live on! 

Adutha Varisu led by Rajinikanth and Sridevi is a gem of a movie that I discovered long after Sridevi's passing, much to my infinite pleasure. Sridevi acts well, as always, and looks like a dream in the movie! 

Doomed to never see a new Sridevi film again (the Ai slop can go to hell), a rich treasure trove of undiscovered Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films (the Kannada films are mostly poor dubs) are now suddenly open to non-native speaking fans thanks to restoration and finally decent subtitles and accurate captions. 

19-year-old Sridevi in this Rajinikanth led caper is strikingly beautiful and acts with the charm, ease and comedic genius she is known for. The retelling of the folklore of Anastasia, which was made in Hindi as Raja Rani in 1972, this Tamil retelling works wonders as you see all the stars in the film in fine form. Highly recommend for a weekend entertainer. 

Sridevi, 20, in the Telugu film Ramarajyamlo Bheermaraju (1983)

Sridevi, 20, in the Telugu film Ramarajyamlo Bheermaraju (1983).

Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983)

 Sridevi, 20, in the Tamil classic Adutha Varisu (1983) 

Sridevi and Jeetendra in Justice Chaudhury (1983): 40 years of a Bollywood Blockbuster

Sridevi and Jeetendra 

Sridevi and Jeetendra in Justice Chaudhury (1983): 40 years of a Bollywood Blockbuster. 

Sridevi in the Telugu film Ramarajyamlo Bheermaraju (1983)

 

Sridevi in the Telugu film Ramarajyamlo Bheermaraju (1983)

Rajinikanth and Sridevi in Adutha Varisu: 40 years of this Tamil classic

 

Rajinikanth and Sridevi in Adutha Varisu: 40 years of this Tamil classic. Am a huge fan of this Tamil film purely because of Sridevi and the magical chemistry she had with her humble supernova of a co-star, the OG Thalaiva, Rajnikanth. 

Archive of images and info on the film here.

Sridevi was doing the iconic pose long before the trend set by Kapil Sharma!

Sridevi was doing the iconic pose back in 1983 - long before the trend by set by Kapil Sharma! 

Sridevi, 20, in Himmatwala strikes a cheeky pose. 
 

Sridevi's most controversial outfit: The humble 80s swimsuit

Sridevi's most controversial outfit: The humble 80s swimsuit in Sridevi's first blockbuster - Himmatwala.

As we find archival images and features from the early 1980s, its no wonder Sridevi was media shy as the film press was distinctly unkind when it came to writing about Sridevi - and when she hiked to the top, those same reporters tripped over themselves trying to gain favour. 

A scene where Sridevi's at a beach and she's wearing  a swimsuit - no big deal. But the way the press wrote about it, you'd think the young actress (she had just turned 20) had done something gratuitous and salacious. Ridiculous. 

 

Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Sridevi in the blockbuster Shri Ranganeethulu (1983)

Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Sridevi in the blockbuster Shri Ranganeethulu (1983)

Rare pic: Sridevi and Jeetendra in Himmatwala (1983)

 

Sridevi, 20, with Jeetendra, 41

In Baaje Payal, the dance based show, Jeetendra said that he was nervous to match steps with Sridevi as she was a perfect in all her moves while he needed to rehearse often. She patiently worked with him throughout and never complained.  

The film marked the unique and popular dancing style of Jeetendra and Sridevi in the 1980s with over a dozen films - most hits - that made them an iconic pairing in Bollywood. 

Here, a rare pic from their first smash hit together, Himmatwala (1983). 

• Our archive of Himmatwala here.
• 100s of pics of Jeetendra with Sridevi here
• The hits and flops of Jeetendra and Sridevi listed here

20 year old Sridevi in Inquilaab

20 year old Sridevi in Inquilaab. 

Released in January of 1984, Sridevi was just 20 years old when the movie released with her superstar co-star, Amitabh Bachchan, who was about to turn 42!

She said that she was so in awe of her tall hero that she barely spoke to him and observed. They finally got comfortable working together by the time they shot Khuda Gawah years later. 

Meanwhile, working the fashion of the time, Sridevi looked ultra glam in the early 1980s in Bollywood. 

 

Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983): 38 anniversary of this iconic Tamil film

Sridevi in Adutha Varisu (1983)

Sridevi is soooooooooo good in this Tamil film - she really should have gotten an award for it. She also looked absolutely gorgeous in the film. Above, on screen, below, on set! Gorgeous! 

Released on 7 July 1983, today is the 38th anniversary of this film. Sridevi was all of 20 when she did this movie!