Sridevi: Strike a pose: Dancing pose

Gopi Krishna with Mithun and Sridevi: Birth anniversary of the Nritya Samrat

Gopi Krishna choreographs Sridevi and Mithun in Jaag Utha Insan back in 1984. 

Today, the birth anniversary of the Nritya Samrat. Born on 22 August 1935, he only taught Sridevi in one film. The prolific dancer was famed as the youngest choreographer in the history of Indian cinema. 

Born on August 22, 1935, into the illustrious Banaras gharana as the grandson of Kathak legend Sukhdev Maharaj, Gopi Krishna was just 49 years old when he directed Sridevi’s classical dance movements in K. Viswanath’s Jaag Utha Insan (1984). She was 20 and in awe of the lgend. 

By the time of his passing on February 18, 1994, he had secured an imperishable legacy as a virtuosic titan of Indian dance. His status as arguably the greatest classical dancer of mainstream Hindi cinema stemmed from an extraordinary, lightning-fast execution of Kathak, astonishing tatkar footwork, and a unmatched athletic fluidity - rendered all the more remarkable considering his lifelong battle with chronic asthma. 

Honoured with the title of Nataraj at fifteen and later awarded the Padma Shri in 1975, his range transcended traditional Kathak, integrating elements of Bharatanatyam and folk traditions into dynamic cinematic compositions. Married to Kathak exponent Savitri, Gopi Krishna spent decades elevating movie choreography into fine art. 

He achieved instant screen immortality starring in V. Shantaram’s classic Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), where his soaring performance set a benchmark for dance on celluloid. Beyond his starring debut, his landmark filmography and signature choreographed pieces include the rich Kathak numbers in Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan (1981), Saqi (1952 - where he became the industry’s youngest choreographer at seventeen - and grand scale productions like Mehbooba (1976), Dastaan (1972), and Gopi (1970). 

His ultimate legacy lies in bridge-building. He demystified classical dance for popular audiences without sacrificing its rigorous technical purity. Through his Nateshwar dance academies and a historic world-record continuous Kathak performance lasting over nine hours, Gopi Krishna permanently redefined how classical artistry is staged, filmed, and preserved in the cultural consciousness.

Rekha in and as Umrao Jaan

Work with Rekha

Gopi Krishna was initially brought in to train and choreograph Rekha for Muzaffar Ali’s magnum opus Umrao Jaan (1981). He helped impart the fundamental nuances, stances, and expressions of Kathak required for her role as a 19th-century courtesan. However, after composing an initial dance number, the film's makers sought a more authentic, traditional Kathak flavor for the remaining tracks and brought in maestro Kumudini Lakhia, leaving Gopi Krishna credited alongside Lakhia for the film’s iconic dances.

Madhuri Dixit

Gopi Krishna never choreographed Madhuri Dixit. By the time Madhuri Dixit rose to superstardom in the late 1980s and early 1990s as Bollywood's premier dance icon, her signature film routines were primarily designed by Saroj Khan (and later, Birju Maharaj for classical compositions like Devdas).

Other Leading Screen Legends

Throughout his prolific career spanning hundreds of films, Gopi Krishna choreographed and trained many of Indian cinema’s legendary leading ladies, particularly in intricate classical and semi-classical routines:

• Madhubala: In Saqi (1952), marking his debut as the youngest choreographer in Hindi cinema at age seventeen. 

  
  
  

• Vyjayanthimala: In major dance-centric productions like Amrapali (1966), Suraj (1966), and Prince (1969).

• Sudha Chandran: In the classical dance biopic Nache Mayuri (1986).

• Waheeda Rehman & Asha Parekh: Across various classical, period, and drama sequences in 1960s and 1970s mainstream cinema.

• Sridevi: In K. Viswanath’s Jaag Utha Insan (1984)

Strike a pose Sridevi: A Dance Pose

 

There were certain poses that Sridevi repeated... cause it worked!

Sridevi and NTR on the cover of Sunday magazine

Wow, there was a time in Indian cinema history when Sridevi was on the cover of a magazine and the editors thought not to even name her!! Just NTR  "with heroine!"

Well, back then Sridevi was just 19, her famous co-star was 60 - and making headlines as he jumped from cinema to the political bandwagon, cashing in on his wild popularity in Andhra. 

They say star power is power; well, political power is real power in India. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Now and then: Sridevi: The Dancer

Unlike Hema Malini, Vyjanthimala, Meenakshi Seshadiri, Bhanupriya, Jaya Prada, Sudha Chandran, Shobhana, Madhuri Dixit or Aishwarya Rai... Sridevi was not a learned dancer. As a working actor since the age of 4, all her learning was on set. The others went to dance classes, learned the art form for stage shows. Sridevi never did - she was an actor who danced well. In other cases, they were dancers who were asked to act... 

But when we think of great dancers in cinema, Sridevi's name crops up time and again. 

Scroll back to an interview with Kamal Haasan who spoke about Sridevi not taking dance lessons, and wondering why. Then seeing her on screen and understanding. She didn't need to.

Sridevi's intro look in the song Yeh Hai Sharaabkhana, from the film Gumrah (1993): Bollywood Queen

Sridevi on the sets of Gumrah (1993).

From the song 'Yeh hai sharaab khana...

Ther perm and short hair - you can tell this was one of the first things they shot for the film - as Sridevi had a short-wig 90s bob-cut look that she kept throughout the film! 

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Sridevi with Geetha "Ma": What did Farha Khan say about Sri on Reality TV?!

Anyone else flinch when choreograph/direcotr - and now YouTube sensation, Farha Khan said that "Sridevi was NOT a great dancer...". I can respectfully... disagree. She wasn't a learned dancer, but then, that just makes what she did on the big screen all the more incredible as she certainly looked poised and perfect, graceful and expressive, and to the beat... As we've listed before on her best numbers, she was... great. Point to note, we can all respectfully disagree without making a band baja out of it!

Sridevi and Jaya Prada : True rivals

From the moment Sridevi stepped into Himmatwala, a Hindi remake of a Jaya Prada film, it was on. The most heated rivalry between two Telugu actresses. 

When Sridevi lowered his staggering remuneration to work in Jaag Utha Insan with Jaya Prada's mentor K Vishwanath (the legendary filmmaker), the damage was beyond repair, Jaya Prada was working in Sharaabi - which turned out to be a blockbuster while Jaag Utha Insan flopped at the box-office. It was a constant sport of upmanship that eventually Sridevi won. Queen of the box-office, top billing, awards, double roles, title roles, highest of salaries for a leading lady, the ability to pick and choose her directors and co-stars, the hand that rocked the box-office, rocked the cine-world. 

Jaya Prada worked in more films with Amitabh Bachchan and initially had one hit song after another, while acting in major titles. However, one doesn't remember a leading lady in a Big B film - they were merely decorative (with exceptions of course!)... a lesson Sri learned quickly. In the wild wild west of Bollywood in the 1980s, somehow Sridevi picked better projects that bolstered her stunning career.  

Despite all the machinations behind the scenes by Jaya Prada's strategic brother, fate favoured Sridevi in the 1980s. The undisputed Number One star. 

Sridevi in and as Roop ki Rani...

 

For all its flaws, I did see Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja a few times... on VHS... just to see Sridevi's comedy, her song and dance routines and the over-the-top costumes that were made for the film. 

Loud, brashy, Broadway style routines that Sridevi made look easy... Even this feather and sequins confection above was just the right amount of... too much! Sridevi's fab in the comedy scenes in the entire film. 

It could have used some finer editing - way too long and dragged out. As was the production - famously so. The costume caper made a lot of money - but not enough, or over the budget and scale of this epic... fiasco. 

There was a certain amount of hostility the press felt towards the makers (there's a YouTube clip of Boney Kapoor vs the press from 1993 that sounds like courtroom warfare more than a meet the press encounter)... I was a teen when the movie came out so didn't understand why they were after the makers - I mean, they made a movie, why was the press so aggressive in its questioning?! Someone pls enlighten us! 

Anyhoooo, all water under the bridge. There have been bigger budgets, bigger flops, bigger tragedies. The film is a great weekend watch for hardcore Sridevi fans. She's soooo immensely watchable even in terrible movies. I've seen Naaka Bandi, Banjaran, Heer Ranjha, particularly Nigahein, just to see gorgeous, gorgeous Sridevi. 

Sridevi

Gorgeous Sridevi, 21, in Jaag Utha Insan - back in the 1980s. 

Released on July 6, 1984. Its easily one of Sridevi's best Hindi films. 

Sridevi's only sequel

Sridevi in Farishtay: The blue sparkling dance costume

Sridevi in Farishtay: The blue sparkling dance costume 

Many, manyyyy people have incorrectly assumed that this is from Nagina - absolutely not. Its from the fun song Saat kunwaraon main, from the awful film Farishtay - which I learned later made a lot of money! 80s and early 90s was a strange era. 

Part of the song in the beginning is sung by a chorus singer, then Lata Mangeshkar takes over. In many films Sridevi often had a song by Lataji, except in movies like Chandni and Lamhe where the Mangeshkars (Aasha Bhosle too!) did the entire album. 

Eternal Chandni: Is this the most famous ghaghra choli of 1989?!

 

Sridevi rocking the IIFA Stage: 2013

 

Am so blessed I've seen Sridevi perform live on stage; in Hong Kong and Macau. When she was 30 and when she was 50 something. What all these tribute dances on Indian reality TV shows reveal is the dancing aspirant's acrobatics, not the grace, charm and expressive nature of a definitive Sridevi dance. Sridevi wasn't don't circus acts on stage, she was glamorous, gorgeous and graceful. A woman in full command, what distinguished her from the girls. 

Sridevi on the sets of Farishtay: Throwback to 1988!

The snake motif repeated again... and again! After the stupendous success of Nagina, Sridevi donned her famous blue lenses in both Nigahein, briefly in a song in Chaalbaaz and again in Farishtay. 

Legend has it that the lenses caused her eye strain and corneal damage - Sridevi never wore those blue coloured accessories thereafter. But by then, some damage was done. It's tragic how much of her personal health she sacrificed for her art. 

Sridevi with Jaya Prada in their epic dance off in Maqsad

 

Released on April 27, 1984, Maqsad was led by an all-star cast of Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Sridevi and Jaya Prada. The film is no great shakes, but we were all shook up when we saw the epic dance-off between the famously warring leading ladies, Sridevi and Jaya Prada. The film is worth watching only to see these two dancing icons work their hardest. They made each other better. Both are so damn good in it, even with our cognitive bias in favour of Sridevi, cannot decide who is better. Expressions, movement, elegance, grace, precision, both are fantastic.

The men are... well, overacting their way through the dance, but really, no one's looking at them when these flashes of blue and pink are raging on the screen. 

Rare still of Sridevi in Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha: Dancing icon of Indian cinema

Released on 11 Apr 1997, Sridevi is perfectly lovely in the thriller and murder mystery Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha. 

People mostly remember Judaai which released months before (February 1, 1997), but this was Sridevi's last film before she took a sabbatical for nearly 14 years! 

 

Sridevi with choreographer and dancer

I think the phrase of the year is going to be "AI Slop". We seem to be encountering fakes daily - like a bad penny that keeps cropping up. 

The two black and white images here are the original photographs of Sridevi and choreograph/dancer extraordinaire, Gopi Krishna. The legend directed Sridevi in only one film; Jaag Utha Insan. The AI slop is the coloured picture - an AI hallucination. Sridevi's costume was blue and white (as shown in past pics here) and the dancing legend was barefoot - not wearing patent black leather shoes while dancing. You can't see on the pic on the left as his kurta-pajama is long... 

Gopi Krishna (the legendary Kathak dancer and choreographer, 1935–1994) choreographed for Sridevi in only one film: Jaag Utha Insan (1984). In that movie (directed by K. Viswanath), he handled her three notable semi-classical/Bharatanatyam-inspired numbers, including “Tarapat Beete” , a Durga Suktam/Tandav sequence, and related dances. These are frequently praised as some of Sridevi’s early standout classical performances in Hindi cinema. 

Sridevi in and as Chandni (1989)

Look for symbols and watermarks when original images of actors have been modified, enhanced and manipulated in some way. Usually its obvious and dreadfully done, but as ai gets better with each passing day, altered pics are creating altered reality. 

The Sisyphean task of alerting social media -- particularly on Instagram, Twitter-- that fake pics are... well, fake. The platforms themselves need to step up and alert viewers. No harm, no foul? I don't know - am one of those old folks that believe the truth matters. 

The Reignition of Sridevi's Bollywood Career: Himmatwala in 1983

After the underwhelming performance of Solva Saawan in 1979, Sridevi's return to Bollywood came via the smashing success of Himmatwala, where though Jeetendra had the title role, Sridevi's entry, song and dance routines and confident performance is was taken note. A star was re-born as she went on to work in several films that year that went on to become stellar hits. In less than a year, Bombay's filmy press crowned her the new Number One actress of cinema, usurping Rekha, who seemed to have no problems with passing the baton. 

We need to do a deep dive on Rekha's empathy and kindness to innumerable starlets, actresses and newcomers as there are so many stories of her generosity, advice and direction that many have spoken about. Be it Shabana Azmi, Sridevi, or even Madhuri and Rani, none have a bad word to say about Re'. 

Himmatwala, as Sridevi said, was no Mughal-E-Azam, but a hit is a hit is a hit. The movie is tepid fare with strong visuals in the colourful song and dance routines. Sridevi really appears like a temple Goddess come to life, all curves, sparkles and expressions. A hallmark film only because it was a stepping stone that boosted the career of an actress who went on to become one of the biggest stars in the country - before the age of 21!