Cine Blitz: August 1988: Sridevi on the cover: The Sridevi Centrefold!

 Sridevi on the cover - and as a centrefold in Cine Blitz, Aug 1988! 

"Personal revelation of a sexy symbol - Sridevi speaks!"  

The 10 year anniversary of Cine Blitz... 

Inside Sridevi’s Favourite Cover Shoot: The Personal Choice of a Legend

From MOVIE magazine, Sept 1989! 

Styled by Neeta Lulla, photographed by Rakesh Shreshta for MOVIE magazine, Sridevi's personal favourite cover shot. A makeshift fashionable turban made of fabric, a statement clip-on earring, high glam makeup of the '80s. 

More images from this cover shoot in the archive here.
 

Star & Style: Sridevi: Still Supreme

 

Sridevi still from Gurudev. 

STAR & STYLE   
JUNE 21 - JULY 4, 1991 | Rs. 10/-   

SAUDA / SANAM BEWAFA: BATTLE OF THE BOX-OFFICE!   

SAIF KHAN: CAUGHT IN A TRAP!   

GODFATHER GHAI DITCHED?   

ASHWINI BHAVE: R.K.'s NEW SCENE-STEALER!   

SRIDEVI STILL SUPREME!

Sridevi on the cover of Sushma magazine: The Hindi Tabloid

 

Everyone recognises the look I'm sure - the glitter and dazzle of her costumes from JVAS. 

Salman Khan with Sridevi: In the midst of a crisis: Sept 1992

Salman Khan and Sridevi 
26th September 1992

 

Sridevi–Salman   Facing Crisis / In the Midst of Crisis

Both Sridevi and Salman are standing at such a critical juncture in their careers that if they do not get a big hit, Sridevi will step back and Salman might fade into obscurity. What are they doing or thinking to turn this situation around?

শ্রীদেবী এবং সলমন দুজনেই কেরিয়ারের এমন সন্ধিক্ষণে দাঁড়িয়ে আছেন যে, বিগহিট না পেলে শ্রীদেবী পিছহু হটবেন এবং সলমন হয়তো হারিয়ে যাওয়ার অবস্থায় চলে যাবেন। এই অবস্থা থেকে ঘুরে দাঁড়াবার জন্য তাঁরা কী করছেন অথবা ভাবছেন?

Star & Style: Sridevi's last Bid for Survival

From 1984 to 1994, Sridevi had a great innings as the Number One female star of the decade. By the time, Choli ke peecheh, Dhak dhak and the unbeatable, historical run of Hum Aapke Hain Kaun came out, there was no denying that Madhuri Dixit's box-office power, if not acting prowess, had surpassed her. 

The industry puts up with anything and everything, except box-office failure. Talent be damned, endurance be damned, skills, tenure, history be damned. The tumble of her movies with Salman Khan, the fiasco of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja, and to a certain extent, the surprise/shock of Lamhe's lukewarm numbers and response... Even we couldn't deny that the baton has been passed... albeit reluctantly. Well, Sridevi maintained that she still got the same respect, remuneration and banners } all of which was true. 

Then the double tragedy of losing her parents, her sabbatical in 1995 - the only year she had no releases in her entire career - and she started returning signing amounts and backing out of projects. 

Funnily enough, the games media play don't change - the second Madhuri was universally acknowledged as the new number one - that same press started pulling her down too. Almost immediately! First it was Juhi labelled the latest successor, then the younger brigade of Manisha Koirala, Kajol and Karisma Kapoor - and it got to Madhuri. Remember her fiery response on stage when she won Best Actress for Dil to Paagal Hai?! It was a moment.  

Fads come and go, what's in fashion is ephemeral, but talent and the eternal style of Sridevi remains. Even when Sridevi was working, her co-stars were fans. She was acknowledged as a legend by the time she was 30. Sridevi saw everything great fame and fortune had to offer her; her destiny gave her everything in life but a long one.  

"Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty."

-- Shakespeare 

Stardust September 1984: Filmland's biggest turn-on! Why the men can't keep their hands off Sridevi!

Stardust, Sept 1984!

Stardust in the mid 80s was pure tabloid gossip, full of innuendo and, as my septuagenarian aunt used to say, "just filth!" 

Excerpt:

FILMLAND’S BIGGEST TURN-ON! JPG WHY THE MEN CAN’T KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF HER! JPG SRIDEVI 

She hit the city, and how! Arms akimbo, staring a challenge down (at the women?) from the lurid posters of ‘Himmatwala’. With chubby thighs squeezed into a mini skirt and a bosom bursting at the seams, she sure left most of the men shell-shocked and drooling. 

‘Himmatwala’ was the first of Sridevi’s films to zoom way up the box-office charts. Along the path to stardom, in ‘Tohfa’, ‘Mawaali’, ‘Jaag Utha Insan’, ‘Maqsad’, and now, ‘Qaidi’, she has shed her inhibitions (if any), and a few pieces of irrelevant clothing. The result is that with a mere shake of a shapely derriere, she’s nudged out Jaya Prada and Rekha from the No. 1 position, on the oomph-list at least. Sridevi literally has the Bombay film industry wound round her voluptuous little finger. 

I was maha intrigued. The gauche girl with a squashy nose in ‘Solva Sawan’ (she was definitely material then for a Sheri Louise ‘before’ ad) was no candidate for superstardom, I’d thought. Her attempt at storming the Bombay film industry bombed—the film was a flop..."

Sridevi in 1984 : At the launch of the Hindi film Govinda: Produced by Boney Kapoor!

Sridevi, 20, at the mahurat/launch of Govinda - a film produced by Boney Kapoor, with co-star Anil Kapoor. The movie went nowhere beyond launch... the team instead went on to make a little film called... Mr.India.

 

Hindi: पारिवारिक फिल्म साप्ताहिक मायापुरी 

Transliteration: Pārivārik Film Sāptāhik Māyāpurī

English Translation: Family Film Weekly Mayapuri

The pull quote from the cover, "I don't sign films based on who the hero is..." 

Filmfare: Unquestionably No: 1 Sridevi Reaches the Top: July 1984 :

 

UNQUESTIONABLY No. 1 

Every five years or so, an elaborate ritual takes place in Hindi moviedom. The reigning glamour queen abdicates her title in favour of a younger tinsel goddess. Such a transition took place recently. When Rekha was replaced by another actress from the South - Sridevi. 

The sensuous bombshell has grabbed the limelight. 

Profiled by Nikhil Lakshman. 

SRIDEVI," says Rekha, "is number one. Give her six months more and she will redefine the rules of the industry." The erstwhile glamour queen is not the only one. From movie moguls to top screenplay writers, from directors to superstars, the view is unanimous. A Greek chorus. In less than eighteen months, this captivating gamine from NTR territory has clearly demonstrated her unbelievable box-office potential. 

And the price is Rs. 12 lakhs. No actress has ever shot up so swiftly. It took Hema Malini nearly four years to make the ascent. Rekha even with Mr B's help took an identical period. And neither faced the cut-throat competition that Sridevi faces. 

Today, there are so many actresses in the race: Rati Agnihotri, Jaya Prada, Padmini Kolhapure, Dimple Kapadia, Meenakshi Seshadri, Moon Moon Sen. So what makes Sridevi run? And number one? 

The present power and glory is a far cry from the humiliation five years ago, when "Solva Sawan" was released. Though it was a good re-make of that fine Tamil film "16 Vayathinile", the movie flopped. As for Sridevi, despite a... 

...tantalising show of thigh- immortalised in that enchanting freeze when she wades across a river - and an on-par performance, the film's failure instantly banished her from the Hindi movie scene. 

At about the same time, another actress from Andhra Pradesh was delighting audiences with her performance in "Sargam". Ironically, that superhit had little impact then on Jaya Prada's career which, thanks to her refusal to learn Hindi and badly-conceived projects like "Lok Parlok" and "Biwi", went into limbo. 

Meanwhile, deeply hurt at the "Solva Sawan" episode, Sridevi worked hard at her craft in Hyderabad and Madras. As a child actress she had her debut at 4. As an adult she zoomed to the top in the South. She could hold her own both in corny song 'n dance extravaganzas like "Bubbulipuli" and "Premabhishekam" as well as serious well-made films like Balu Mahendra's "Moondram Pirai". 

A. Raghavendra Rao, the Telugu Croesus who is widely given credit for 'creating' Sridevi, recalls the sensation that Bobbili Puli was: "Whenever NTR - you must remember she was 16 and he was nearing 60- and Sridevi came together on screen, a strange electricity passed through the audience. And they began to show their appreciation by throwing coins, clapping enthusiastically. No Telugu film has had such a response. 

Then, in late 1980, Padmalaya Films, controlled by the Telugu actor Krishna, approached her with a proposal. They were going to make a Hindi film and would she be interested in acting in it? Sridevi wasn't too sure. Nor were her parents who vet every script, pass judgement on the role she is to accept. More out of loyalty to that banner and mentor Raghavendra Rao, she agreed. And thus, “Himmatwala” was born. 

On the sets, Sridevi discovered that her eyes-always-on-the-box-office co-star Jeetendra had vociferously approved her selection. However, financiers and distributors were not so enthusiastic. Raghavendra Rao recalls the long hours spent in convincing them that Sridevi was the right choice. One important factor in their favour was distributor Ramesh Sippy's support. Sippy, Jeetendra's brother-in-law, is known as a shrewd businessman. He decided to hard-sell Sridevi. Huge hoardings of her appeared overnight in Bombay. “This is Sridevi,” they proclaimed, “Watch out for her in ‘Himmatwala'”. 

The intention was obviously to re-introduce her to Hindi audiences and it worked. “Himmatwala” is a garish, inane exercise on celluloid. But, somehow it clicked. 

In the age of video, it earned over one crore, making it one of the biggest block-busters last year. With oomph oozing from every pore, the actress was an instant hit. 

In the meantime, producer Ramesh Sippy had struck a deal with director Balu Mahendra to re-make “Moondram Pirai”. “Himmatwala” had not yet been released, so Sippy was lukewarm about having Sridevi in “Sadma”. Dimple was his first choice. But when the other Sippy - G. P. and son Ramesh—grabbed her for “Saagar”, Sridevi was signed for “Sadma”. 

The film remains one of the high points of 1983, an otherwise dull year of movie-making. Neither Silk Smitha's lascivious gesticulations nor Kamal Haasan's fine performance could match Sridevi's pyrotechnics in “Sadma”. As for her acting the transformation from city slicker to infantilism and back was effortless. 

Unfortunately, “Sadma” flopped. And Sridevi was back to making movies like “Maqsad” and “Tohfa”.

Sridevi had to jettison her 'respectable' image down South, grabbing skimpy outfits and going into postures straight out of Vatsayana (one Southern director shudders recollecting those seducing scenes in 'Inquilaab').   

Today, after a year of shuttling between Madras and Bombay, Sridevi is entrenched in Hindi films. Not even flops like "Kalakaar" or damp squids like "Inquilaab" have erased that reputation. Of course, she was fortunate in making a comeback just when there was room at the top. 

Hema Malini was no longer in the very young brigade. Rekha was more busy with her mind-and-body affair. And none of the younger actresses like Rati Agnihotri or Padmini Kolhapure had really managed to bulldoze the audience. Sridevi had to jettison her 'respectable' image down South, grabbing skimpy outfits and going into postures straight out of Vatsayana (one Southern director shudders recollecting those ugh! seducing scenes in "Inquilaab"). 

It might not have earned her a place in the critics' note-books, but it delighted audiences. 

Sex is emblazoned on her every gesture.   Sridevi has had her share of "Justice Choudhury", "Mawaali", "Tohfa", "Akalmand", "Maqsad". Routine re-makes have been transformed into record-breakers by her sheer presence. 

"Else why should films without a semblance of a story-line and with Jeetendra co-starring be such big hits? I tell you people want to see Sridevi, not anyone else," says one movie-maker.   Apparently, her parents make all the decisions for Sridevi. It is a well-oiled, carefully-constructed exercise. According to some sources, Sridevi rarely compromises where the price and her roles are concerned. The rule of thumb is simple: Market price and roles that play her up considerably. 

"Though she maintains excellent public relations, Sridevi is perfectly capable of saying no even to producers who have funded her height up," says one Southern source.   Unlike many local actresses, Sridevi is an absolute professional. No tantrums. No late-coming. No truancy because of mishaps in love. She is on the sets well ahead of time and raring to go. 

"She does not disobey the director  ever," says Raghavendra Rao, "in fact you can mould her whatever way you want".   

In fact, that is exactly what worries Sridevi watchers. The success of movies like "Tohfa" and "Himmatwala" have forced her into an erotic slot that confines her to lewd dances and little else; just forget acting. 

Now that she is on the top of the world, surely she can select her roles more carefully. They say, Rekha rushes to her defence. She says, "Sure, these films are crap. But don't forget they run. And that is very important. If you want to do something in the future, something lasting, you must be prepared to work with junk in the early years. We all did."   

Most of the films Sridevi has on hand are the typical Madras masala movies. One reason for this nonchalance towards performances could be that both films in which she had concentrated on histrionics - "Solva Sawan" and "Sadma" - flopped. So she openly states her determination to woo commercial success. 

"If these films run, why not?"   

How long will the Sridevi phenomenon go on? One movie pundit insists that Sridevi is just a stop-gap number one. The moment a more viable alternative comes along, she will be forced to return to Madras. 

Echoing a similar viewpoint another trade source says: "With video around, you have to continuously come up with newer things all the time if your film has to run. Though she has an extremely mobile face and is a good actress, people will tire of her and want something new. 

Yet Amitabh Bachchan places his bet on Sridevi. He is believed to have said that no actress - not Jaya Prada nor any of the others - can touch Sridevi "for the next five years".   

Of course, there are a bevy of heroines all dying to have a shot at Sridevi's title: Jaya Prada, of course, was running neck-to-neck till early this year and has old scores to settle with her Telugu compatriot. Rati Agnihotri has the largest number of films on hand. Mahesh Bhatt is backing Padmini Kolhapure. Meenakshi Seshadri has some good films ahead. And there are those dark horses - Dimple and Moon Moon Sen. Moon Moon could be the actress giving Sridevi nightmares.   

The last word on the subject comes from Rekha: "Of all the other actresses, Jaya Prada is being promoted as Sridevi's only rival. Sure she is terrific-looking, but can she act? What wouldn't I do for a face like Sridevi's! Why call me a sex symbol? My God, that girl is miles ahead of me!"   

-- FILMFARE JULY 16—31, 1984 

Mayapuri: Sridevi's fringe in the early 90s

I had a friend Salman from PK who loved this fringe shoot - a version of this was on the cover of MOVIE magazine in 1990. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Sridevi experimented with looks, styles, hair, makeup often... to make a usually tedious shoot more interesting and creative! 

You can see outtakes from this cover shoot in the archive here and here.

Star & Style: Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla and Sridevi: March 1993

By 1993, after a spate of box-office flops and average films, the media was dying to crown another screen queen.. .the names shuffled between Juhi Chawla and Madhuri Dixit. Sridevi stated she didn't consider the numbers game seriously and neither did Madhuri Dixit. Juhi Chawla with her chirpy comedies and musicals wasn't a real threat - until 1993 when she was fielding a hit after hit. 

Of her 9 releases that year, Juhi Chawla delivered the goods with 4 massive successes [Darr, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Aaina, Lootere] and an award-winning turn in Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke. Even MOVIE magazine, firmly on team Madhuri, declared her the Number One in their annual opinion poll edition, Star & Style, Stardust and Filmfare ran similar features. At the end its showbusiness - and Juhi's movies were just doing great business. 

Star & Style ran for years on Sridevi's coattails - covering her every move and movie - so this editorial - where Sridevi did not give any quotes or interview - was a soft nudge to the erstwhile Queen that a new wave was taking over Hindi cinema.  

Excerpt 

“It’s very difficult to know Sridevi,” states choreographer Chinni Prakash who has worked with the actress in three or four films. “It takes a lot of time to pierce through the tough, aloof veneer that she has about her on the sets.”

It’s not only Chinni who feels this way about Sridevi. Almost every person who’s got anywhere near her, says the same. Sridevi’s hairdresser, Rashida, who’s been with the actress since three years, sings no different tune about her madam. “She doesn’t mix around much with anybody,” explains Rashida. “She talks only as much as required. Even if it’s a problem with the fitting of her dress, she tells us to inform the dress-man to handle the problem. She says softly but very firmly, that he should know that such problems should not crop up. There is never a trace of irritability on her face, when she says it. Yet her words are not meant to be taken lightly.” Sridevi’s total control over her emotions when in public is a result of being in the film industry for far too long - since the age of six. “Sridevi has seen so much of cinema life, and witnessed so much of unpleasantness that she’s conditioned herself to block herself totally from anything other than her performance and career. Perhaps, she’s afraid that people will take her for granted,” reasons Chinni.

Hardly surprising then, that the actress feels no attachment for anyone in the industry. According to ace glamour photographer, Gautam Rajadhyaksha, who has had the privilege to turn on his lens eye on the star, Sridevi is so totally apart and distant from the film folk that she once revealed to him quite candidly, “I have learnt nothing from the industry.” Her success, her achievement in the South and particularly in Hindi cinema has been totally of her own making. “Sri is an incredibly hard-working girl,” praises Gautam. It’s a known fact that when she came to Bombay, chasing ambitious dreams of becoming the reigning star, she was totally at a disadvantage. Hindi was an alien language and she was better known for her thunder thighs than for her acting talent. But her single-minded dedication and pursuit of her goal, established her as the most successful actress. “Sridevi worked hard on her language and within no time she started dubbing for her own films,” exclaims make-up maestro Mickey Contractor who has a fairly good rapport with the actress.

In fact, professionalism has always been Sridevi’s hallmark. Come rain, hail or storm, the actress is there on the sets at the given time. “Sridevi had once hurt herself badly on the sets of K.C. Bokadia’s ‘Main Tera Dushman’,” recollects her ex-secretary Hari Singh. “An eight inch glass had pierced her thigh. She was hospitalised, her wound was stitched and she was prescribed complete rest for two months. However, when ‘Farishtay’s Sattie Shourie begged and pleaded her not to cancel the Kashmir outdoor because the weather would change later, Sridevi went for the schedule. And, sure enough, her condition worsened. When she returned to Madras, burning with fever, she found that the thigh injury had got septic and was oozing with puss. But, that’s how she is. Totally dedicated.”

So much so that for the sake of a challenging role, Sridevi is ever willing to go to any lengths to get into the skin of it. Sometimes literally. According to Mickey Contractor, Sridevi’s Chinese look for a song sequence in ‘Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja’ was not an easy task. “Sridevi’s eyes had to be stretched for days from the sides with scotch tape, to get that chinky look,” revealed Mickey in admiration. “But not once did she complain about the arduous task of going through this exercise for days. In fact I felt terribly bad for her when I saw that the skin near her eyes was getting bruised. Though Sridevi would be edgy and restless those days, not once did she wince in pain or give me the idea that she was suffering.”

Mickey, however, recalls one incident when the actress uncharacteristically turned up late one morning on the sets of ‘RKRCKR’. “As usual, I went up to her make-up room to find it locked. After a long wait Sri arrived, got into the make-up room and immediately began to get ready for the song-dance continuation. Seeing me visibly bugged, she came to me and said, ‘I know I am late. Do you want to know why?’ She then rolled up her dress to show me her terribly swollen up knees. The previous day she’d done a strenuous song-dance which required her to use her knees. ‘I had to take a painkilling injection to get out of bed this morning, otherwise I would not have been able to make it today,’ she said simply. That’s when I realised that the actress is truly dedicated to her job. But not once did she make a show of it or try to get sympathy on the sets that day.”

Though extremely conscious of what she says and does when she’s in company, the actress does succumb to human frailties now and then. “Sridevi is always calm and controlled, but at times she loses her cool too,” observes Mickey. “Like, when she’s doing her make-up and if her assistant does not hand her the correct material, she snaps and says irritably, ‘You should know by now what I want, not wait for me to ask for it.’ But, then, I guess, nobody is born perfect. We all have shades of grey in our personality.”

And Sridevi has them too. The very fact that the actress survived through her struggling days to reach the peak of success, was proof enough that she was no dim-witted bimbo. After her flop debut in ‘Solwa Saawan’ and ‘Sadma’, an undaunted Sridevi was smart enough to relaunch herself with the then box-office boss, Jeetendra, in ‘Himmatwala’. Its roaring success with the masses encouraged her to consolidate her position with many more South quickies with Jeetendra. However, the minute other top heroes who had become aware of her talent and box-office draw, showed willing keenness to work with her, Sridevi was professional and ambitious enough to ease up on further offers with Jeetendra. In fact, even during Jeetu’s lean spell in recent times, Sridevi consistently refused to pair up with him which had hurt the actor no end.

“The fact is that Jeetendra and Sridevi couldn’t go on doing films only with each other forever,” reasons Shobha, Jeetendra’s wife. “Their pair had become stale at the box-office and it was no longer an economically viable proposition to continue working with each other. But that doesn’t mean that it has affected their personal relationship. We are yet friendly with her. In fact, Sridevi participated in the show we had in USA. And there I got to know her really well.

“She’s one actress who never demanded to be treated like a star. Especially on our internal flights in the States, there were only a handful of first class seats. But she always offered them to Jeetu and me first. Even when she got a seat for herself she would either give it to her mother or sister, saying she didn’t mind sitting in the economy class. I really admired her consideration for others.”

Shobha explains that during the Jeetendra and Sridevi South phase after the hit ‘Himmatwala’, she didn’t really get to know the actress too well in those days. “In fact, my daughter, Ektaa, who was only eight years old and a great fan of hers, got along better with her! She used to literally cling to Sridevi, always be with her in her make-up room when we visited Jeetu every weekend.” Sridevi too, was very fond of Ektaa and brother Tushar, and whenever she was in Bombay, she always made it a point to drop in at their house, specially on occasions like their birthdays.

Something the actress rarely or almost never did with anybody else. In recent times, Sridevi projected such closeness only with Boney Kapoor when she shifted lock, stock and barrel into his house, after her father’s death. At an emotional ebb and totally vulnerable, Sridevi was grateful to find a supportive friend in Boney. However, when speculation of an affair between the two reared its ugly head, Sridevi got herself together and promptly moved out into a hotel. She didn’t want either her professional career or personal dignity to be tainted by such rumours. She had worked too hard to keep both her lives intact. And nothing was going to mar either of them. After all, hadn’t Sridevi been made to suffer the onslaught of ugly publicity after her disastrous break-up with Mithun Chakraborthy in the past? In fact, it was after this bitter-sweet phase that Sridevi withdrew herself totally from the industrywallahs. Until then, the actress had, at least, been making efforts to befriend her colleagues. Like Rekha, for instance. In fact, Rekha and Sridevi frequently double-dated with their respective lovers, Amitabh and Mithun. But it ended when they fell out with their men. The personal friendship between the two women went kaput too.

It’s then, that Sridevi’s obsession for privacy began to surface. And she withdrew totally into her shell after her father’s death. It was a rare occasion when Sridevi let her defences down. At such times, it was her wacky sense of humour that showed itself inevitably. “Oh, Sridevi has a terrific sense of humour,” agrees Mickey. “But she almost never displays it on the sets. Once I was quietly smiling to myself over a funny event on the sets when Sridevi caught my eye, turned to where I was looking, and then had a quiet laugh herself too. I realised that she too had caught on on to the situation. Believe me, she’s nobody’s fool, as she’d love people to believe. She’s very smart, observant and quick on the uptake.”

According to choreographer Saroj Khan, who was totally fascinated with the actress when she first saw her in ‘Himmatwala’, and then worked with her to give her many a memorable song-and-dance numbers, Sridevi is great fun when she’s unguarded, which is only in the security of her family at home in Madras. “Two years ago Sri had invited me with six of my dancer boys to her house at Madras to celebrate New Year’s Eve,” reminisces the dancer fondly. “While I stayed at her bungalow, the boys were put up at a hotel. While playing dandiya that night, some of the boys got lightly bruised by Sri. So, we played a prank on Sri the next day. All six of them came over to her house with bandaged

limbs. Naturally, Sri and her parents were shocked to know how it had happened. But Sri understood from a faint smile on my lips that the boys were just pulling a fast one. Later, when Sri grandly led us to the dining table for lunch, and when we opened the covered dishes, we found paper, stones and straws in all of them! Seeing our stunned faces, Sri and her father burst out laughing and she said, ‘If you guys can pretend to be hurt, why can’t I serve you such food?’ And we all burst out laughing. So, Sri is very friendly and funny. But she’s never like that when she’s in the midst of work on the sets.”

Sridevi is a picture of toughness on the sets. “But actually she’s vulnerable and very sensitive,” reveals Mickey. “Like, once, while doing her face, I casually commented on another actress’ striking features. Apparently, she misunderstood it. She told someone else that I found her features rather imperfect. She thought that I had implied it, though that was not at all what I had meant. That’s when I realised that Sri’s very sensitive and vulnerable. What people say about her leaves a lasting impact on her.”

In fact, the South Indian actress devours very written word on herself. “Madam reads every magazine,” reveals her hairdresser, Rashida. “And she reads every article on her very thoroughly. But we have never seen her react to anything — good, bad or otherwise.” However, if she happens to like her pictures that are published she reacts very positively. “Sri is very spontaneous in that respect,” says Gautam. “She does not think twice before calling me up and telling me in her characteristic Madrasi accent, ‘Oh, I l-o-u-ed the picture.’ Why, once when we happened to meet by chance in Bombay, she told me very honestly that she had forgotten to call me about one of her pictures she liked very much! That’s what I appreciate about her. She’s very spontaneous and genuine in her admiration, unlike some others who perhaps do it as a matter of protocol because it will reflect well on them if they called me up specially to thank me. No, Sri’s not like that. She means what she says.”

A fact seconded by Saroj Khan. Saroj is amongst the few industry persons who has been on the receiving side of Sri’s generosities. “Sri has been very nice to me in all the years of our association. She gifted me a gold necklace, earrings and a ring of New Year’s Eve two years ago. If Sridevi cares for someone, it’s genuine. And then she’s very generous and warm. I will never forget the time we had gone to America for a show and the organisers did not pay me my dues. So, when Sri and I went out shopping (that’s one of her favourite pastimes), she noticed that I was not buying anything. When I told her why, she promptly asked her mother to give me three hundred dollars. She’s the kind who’s extremely helpful in times of need.”

Today, Saroj Khan genuinely regrets the fact that the warmth they once shared is lacking in their relationship. “However, we do greet each other cordially, whenever we meet,” says Saroj sadly. She feels their relationship soured because of the rumours that circulated about her apparent bias against Sridevi for her strongest contender, Madhuri Dixit. However, Saroj hopes to clear the misunderstanding soon. “I would definitely like to make up with Sridevi,” she says emotionally.

But the fact remains that though Sridevi may go blue in her face denying her discomfort at Madhuri’s zooming up to the number one slot, the South Indian actress is perturbed by her rival’s success. In fact, she is so conscious of the competition in the industry that she makes it a point to see every Hindi film to keep herself updated on that front. “Sridevi watches a film each night. At times the actress tries to catch as many films as she can in her luxurious van to and from the studio, back to the hotel,” reveals Rashida, the star’s hairdresser.

However, at the end of it all, the actress knows in her heart of hearts that success is the flip side of failure and like everything else, it adheres to Newton’s law of motion that what goes up, must come down. And that’s when life will look squarely at her, demanding it’s pound of flesh. But Sridevi’s too smart for that. By then she will have settled securely in the cocoon of marriage, to a guy chosen only by her mother and no longer to a guy of her own choice. After all, the one thing that everyone knows is that Sridevi learns from her mistakes!

— KANAN DIVECHA

One, two, three... Sridevi in pink: Filmfare says she's The Greatest on the cover!

A triptych of Sridevi from the set of Lamhe (1991),

Looking so cute - if you remember this comedic scene, Sri in London. The cover shot of Filmfare is too lovely. August 1990. 

Sridevi, 21, on the cover of a Bengali tabloid

 

Title: Anandalok (Name of the magazine) 

29 December 1984 | 4 Rupees 50 Paisa (Date & Price) 

Sridevi

Special feature on beauty care 

 "I'm not quitting films": Amitabh 

Above image is ai modified, edited picture of below original paper scan. Sridevi still looks like Sridevi - not some of the terrible edits that are floating around online. 

The photoshoot was done earlier than October 1984 - you can see images in the archive from this shoot here.

 

Cover girl: Mayapuri: Sridevi

Sridevi looks so much like Bhanupriya here or Bhanupriya has been styled to look like Sridevi so often in the 1980s... 

This cover shoot of Sridevi in Mayapuri magazine, the off shoulder dress and the hair band accessoriy... 

The 80s makeup and styling... 

Sridevi: Filmfare cover: May 1985

My least favourite cover shoot with Sridevi...  

The makeup, the wet hair, the outfit... this is when Filmfare was a bi-monthly (twice a month!) . 

The May 1-15, 1985 edition. 

Showtime: Dec 1988: Dimple Kapadia, Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna

Showtime: Dec 1988: Dimple Kapadia, Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna

 

Stardust May 1988: Exposed! How Sridevi dumped those who made her Number One!

 

Sridevi on the cover of Stardust back in May 1988 - sharing space with the stars of the time such as Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Sheshadiri and others. 

The titles and headlines on the magazines were... so hyper and amped up; 

Revealed Anil and Naseer Declare War! 

Will Divya defy her parents and marry the man she loves?

How Sridevi dumped those who made her Number One! 

The 'Raaz' behind 'Thandi Meenakshi Seshadiri's Naya Garam - Garam Vibes!  

Sridevi in 1987: Cover shoot for Cine Blitz

Non exclusive cover shoots are such an anachronism in media now. A cover shoot that published in Cine Blitz... and then again, images from that very shoot found in several other magazines is so weird to behold today. This would never happen - well, as magazines circle the drain... but even before, shoots were done elusively for titles and not meant to be shared. 

Originally published in July of 1987, Sridevi's rocking a wig, accessories and the bulky fashion of its time. And yes, we are aware this is Sridevi's heavy years - but she lost the weight by the end of 1988. The critics were after her - body shaming was the trend - and she went on drastic diets. And really body shaming exists across the board in social media - the anonymous and often weirdly religious duds and dudes comment freely on men and women. Well, mostly women. The comments sections in social media of most people is a dustbin of trash opinions of the lesser intellect... 

Beautiful Sridevi on the cover of Showtime: The end of Film Magazines: Not with a Bang, but a Whimper

Sridevi on the cover of Showtime back in September 1988! The cover tag; "Heroines can't do without Sridevi!"

When publisher Nari Hira launched Showtime in April 1984 under Magna Publishing, it was conceived as the intellectual sibling to his scandal-heavy juggernaut, Stardust. Where Stardust traded in raw gossip and bite-sized industry insider talk, Showtime carved out a distinct voice: expansive profiles, nuanced film journalism, and high-impact cover shoots.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the magazine captured the peak of Hindi cinema’s golden era. Digital archives and collector markets on eBay reveal a clear pattern of who truly commanded the publication’s newsstand appeal. Sridevi was a dominant fixture, gracing the front cover over 20 times across her reign as the undisputed queen of Indian cinema. From defining 1980s solo heroics to early-90s transformations, her presence reliably drove readership. 

Beyond Sridevi, eBay archives and retrospective listings highlight a elite circle of superstars who repeatedly fronted the glossy title:

Amitabh Bachchan – A staple from the publication’s mid-80s inception through his legendary career transitions. Even when he had the infamous ban against Indian media, he still featured prominently in cover stories - whether he liked it or not. 

Rekha – Consistently photographed for high-fashion editorial spreads and candid personal deep-dives, the gorgeous diva was not just a Showtime staple, but a magazine staple. She loved doing creative, high gloss glamour shoots and made the careers of photographers. She did her own styling, often did her own makeup (had an assistant for hair!) and remains the most frequent magazine cover star of ALL time. 

Rishi Kapoor & Anil Kapoor – Regular cover choices during the late 80s rom-com and action wave.

Madhuri Dixit & Shah Rukh Khan – The defining faces of Showtime’s 1990s covers as the magazine documented the next generation of superstardom.

As print advertising contracted in the late 2000s and digital media reshaped audience habits, Magna Publishing consolidated its core operations. Showtime was gradually phased out, quietly shutting shop between 2008 and 2012 as the publisher shifted focus back to Stardust and Society. Stardust, which once dominated film journalism - be it good or bad - shut shop too. Left in a quiet whimper of mismanagement of editors and finances. Hard to believe as Stardust was so popular once, they were publishing a hot edition twice a month, published 

At their peak publishing output and readership in the 1980s and 1990s: 

Stardust: Published 1 main issue per month in English, alongside dedicated language editions (such as Hindi). At its physical zenith, its total print circulation reached between 250,000 to nearly 400,000 copies per month, boasting an estimated readership exceeding 10 lakh (ie 1 million) readers per issue as India's premier glossy film monthly. 

Showtime: Published 1 main issue per month. Positioned as a premier sister title to Stardust, its monthly print run at its peak averaged between 75,000 and 125,000 copies per month, catering to a more niche audience interested in extended features and in-depth profiles.

In terms of publishing frequency, both titles were monthly glossies, resulting in 1 issue each per month (12 standard issues per year, plus occasional special annual editions).

Today, back issues remain prized physical artifacts of Bollywood’s most glamourous media decade.