Sridevi choreographs for... Janhvi Kapoor! Rare clip and laughter of Sridevi

The clip is funny enough - buty ou can hear Sridevi laughing in the archival clip... 
 

Sridevi videoclip trending on Social media: Chaalbaaz scenes with Rajinikanth and Sunny Deol

Sridevi in Sadma

Sridevi in Sadma 

In a rather revealing and introspective interview, actor Kamal Haasan said the story of the film is a rework of the personal tragedies the director himself faced in his short and doomed marriage.  Which really makes this movie a bigger gut-punch than it should be... 

Sridevi was a teen when she did this mature performance. As an ardent admirer, it shocks me till date that Kamal walked away with all the awards when its Sridevi carrying the film. 

Maheshwari posts rarely seen family photos of Sridevi

 

Former 1990s South Indian actress Maheshwari is Sridevi’s maternal niece - and she just posted a reel of rare photos of Sridevi from the family album. Sridevi without makeup at home, hugging her pet dog, at family events, at film parties and so on. A rare glimpse at a superstar in the comforts and safety of home. 

I've always been a bit confused about how Maheshwari is related to Sridevi - as the media has called her Sridevi's niece and sometimes her cousin! 

To clear it up, Maheshwari’s mother, Suryakala, is Sridevi’s elder half-sister (from Sridevi's mother Rajeswari’s previous marriage). Maheshwari referred to Sridevi as her aunt (Masi), while Sridevi’s daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, consider Maheshwari their aunt/cousin figure (affectionately known in the family as "Magi Maasi"). 

After retiring from mainstream acting in 2000, Maheshwari's all too short a stint at acting in the 90s came to an abrupt pause, which is a pity as she was a fine actress with comedic sparks. She transitioned into fashion design with Sridevi’s guidance and support, frequently designing outfits for Sridevi and her daughters for high-profile red carpets and public events.

TBT: Sridevi live on stage in Punjab: 1993

 

Does anyone have the full show? Sridevi looks sooooo gorgeous. 

Sridevi, 30, in Punjab, performing live on stage. 

Throwback: Sridevi with her children at the Kapoor household: Happy Birthday Karisma Kapoor

 Happy Birhtday Karisma Kapoor 

A trending video clip of Ai generated stills and motion pics of Sridevi on Social Media: Instagram trend

 

Sridevi, Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth in Chaalbaaz

 The cast of Chaalbaaz. Flawless. 

Sridevi, Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth in Chaalbaaz (1989): Acting powerhouses.

Scene stealing Sridevi in Chaalbaaz, one of her many double roles where she outshown her co-stars (much to the chagrin of Sunny Deol!). Well, it was a hit film that benefitted all three. The comedy scenes are fantastic, Sunny Deol danced his best in one of the songs and Sridevi won one of her may awards. 

 

दिल्ली एयर क्वालिटी अलर्ट: राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में प्रदूषण का स्तर 'गंभीर' सीमा के करीब पहुंच रहा है। डेटा से पता चलता है कि 15 मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशनों ने पहले ही 400 का आंकड़ा पार कर लिया है। जबकि शनिवार को शाम 4 बजे 24 घंटे का औसत AQI 361 था। यह शाम 6 बजे तक बढ़कर 372 हो गया, जिससे दिल्ली आज सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों में से एक बन गया है।

Kapil Sharma with Sridevi and Boney Kapoor at Filmfare Awards 2017

Wishing standup comic Kapil Sharma the very best today - the most famous Indian comic today turns 45. 

During the 62nd Filmfare Awards back in 2017, the emcee of the night, Sharma had a fun, cheeky moment with Sridevi and Boney Kapoor while talking about the 2016 demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes.

He turned to the front row, looked at Sridevi and playfully asked how she was managing her ghar ka kharcha after the note ban, teasing her that she must have had “piles of cash” stashed away at home. Sridevi, being the sport she always was, burst out laughing and took the joke beautifully, turning it into one of those light, memorable filmy moments with Kapil.

Kapil has repeated said on his show (in all its avatars!) that Sridevi was one of his favourite actresses - it would have been fun to see Sri and Kapil share the stage together - alas. Just wasn't meant to be.

Lucky for Kapil - he did run into her at an event years before he became the multi-crore earing Netflix superstar. 

PS: More than Kapil though, in absolute awe of the chameleon comic brilliance of Sunil Grover. He was great as Gulzar, Mithun, Dharmendra (in the past), and so on. But his capture of Salman Khan and recently of Kader Khan has been next level. They need to create a special award just for him. 

Abhishek Bachchan fans out at Sridevi: 50 and Fab Bachchan Jnr rings in another year

Abhishek Bachchan fans out at Sridevi: 50 and Fab Bachchan Jnr rings in another year - we wish the actor well. 

The Sridevi Madhuri Dixit Remix We Didn't Know We Want!

 

Years have past, but these two are forever linked together symbiotically... Even musically! An original spin on two ol' hit songs. 

Sridevi with Amitabh Bachchan in KBC: India's Who Wants to be a Millionaire was a ratings smash!

Watching Sridevi reminisce about her early days in the film industry... She was a treasure trove of experiences and information. A rich chapter of Indian cinema closed with her sudden and tragic passing. 

As Indian film journalism remains a nebulous fog of information and misinformation, these rare clips straight from the mouths of celebrities themselves is the closest we have to a factual account of what happened in the glory and early days of Indian cinema. 

 

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Srideviiiiiiii: Video clips of the iconic Indian actress

Above clip: Young Sridevi nearly lost her life in an accident while filming - and it was caught on film. This is long before the long arm of the law wrapped around the film industry giving child artists agency, insurance, rules and regulations. 

Sridevi herself has stated in an interview in the 90s, the most traumatic thing she ever witnessed in her life was the death of a child artist--whcn she herself was a child--and the film crew had to inform the parent that their kid passed on the sets of a Tamil film. Sridevi was haunted by the visual and the sound of the parent hollering in pain over the body. 

 

Major throwback: young Janhvi Kapoor takes Sridevi for a spin on a scooty!

 Clip of teenaged Janhvi Kapoor... risking life and limb with Sridevi!! 

A cute memory! 

Sridevi, "Hi, I'm Shashi..."

 

This clip of Sridevi promoting English Vinglish. The face of pan-Indian cinema, superstardom and excellence. 

Sridevi: The Song that was cut from the overripe Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja

 

Main ek sone ki murat hoon was an ok song, but Sridevi looked so cute performing it - alas, the song was cut from the released version of the film, Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja. 

Shot in Amsterdam, Sridevi prances around a garden trying to comically seduce a reluctant Anil Kapoor. She's after the jewellery he stole - and he's aware of her less than honourable intentions! There are several amazing scenes and songs in the film - it just didn't have a cohesive thread. 

Dilip Kumar, "Sridevi is a wonderful artist, dancer..." A Legend who was a Famous Fan of "the great Sridevi"

Remembering Dilip Kumar on his birth anniversary today. Often touted as the greatest Indian actor of all time, Dilip Kumar was born 11 Dec 1922. The legendary superstar worked with Sridevi in only two films, both in 1986, the blockbuster Karma and the hit film Dharm Adhikari. Had the film not been shelved, they would have worked together again in Raasta. 

Dilip Kumar did the mahurat of Lamhe, while his beautiful wife, erstwhile actress Saira Banu, presented Sridevi with her Chandni silver jubilee trophy back in 1990. Sridevi was famously an ardent fan of Dilip Kumar--really there are no Indian actors who were not--and, in turn, Dilip Kumar is said to have given high praise to Sridevi when they were working together, albeit briefly. It is rare to find a clip of Dilip Kumar praising younger stars, but he did say Sridevi was a fine artist and dancer [above clip]. 

It is alleged, that Dilip Kumar told Subash Ghai, film producer and director of Karma, "This girl has beauty of Madhubala, acting of Meena Kumari, dance of Vyjayanthimala, grace of Waheeda Rehman, stardom of Rajesh Khanna, popularity of Amitabh and that all-combination made one and only Sridevi, People will never forget her as long as cinema lasts." 

As there is no recording or clip or print scan of this hyperbolic praise of Sridevi [as much as we agree with it!] from that era, it remains questionable. The 80s was not only a strange decade for films, it was stranger still when it came to film journalism! So we'll take this quote with a pinch of salt. 

What cannot be denied of course is Saira Banu's recent post remembering Sridevi and the erstwhile star's high praise of the actress[below]. 

Um... we'll take the figures with a questionable quote too... 

Sridevi with Krishna: Her most frequent co-star of ALL time

Yes, we've addressed the staggering age-gap before, so it doesn't bear repeating but for the new viewers, despite the near 20-year age-gap, Krishna was Sridevi's most frequent co-star of ALL time - which fans have helped us chronicle over the years here.

The cast of Chaalbaaz: Sridevi's tour-de-force elevated the oft told tale!

Though Sridevi won the award and accolades, the 1989 double-role dramedy worked in its entirety because of its stellar cast that propelled Chaalbaaz to box office success; Sunny Deol, Rajinikanth, Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi, Aftab Shivdasani, Annu Kapoor, Aruna Irani.

There's a memorable cameo by Kader Khan, as the not-so-blind beggar, Johnny Lever as Baba and the comedian who played the banker... whose name I always forget!

The film released in Dec 1989 ie 36 years ago! 

The movie has aged well - its sort of staggering how great Sridevi is and so incredibly watchable. Clips of it are trending on social media three and a half decades later. 

The story is old hat. Well, vintage wine, new bottle. Done before as Ram aur Shyam, Seetha aur Geetha - and later Kishen Kanhayia. There are some lofty ambitions to make the movie again in its later avatar for the modern age but... where are the takers? And where's the talent?! 

• Our massive Chaalbaaz archive here. 
• Sridevi with Sunny Deol over the years here.
• Sridevi with Rajinikanth over the years here.