Sridevi in Nagina: One of the biggest hits of the 1980s in Bollywood

Released in 1986... Sridevi in Nagina

Iconic stills from one of the biggest blockbusters in Bollywood!

Click on the images ot enlarge. 

Sridevi and her costars: Vinod Khanna, Rajesh Khanna, Mithun, Govinda, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Jeetendra

 The range, the colours, the outfits, the music, the costumes, the poses... glorious 80s in Bollywood. And early 90s! 

Sridevi and her costars: Vinod Khanna, Rajesh Khanna, Mithun, Govinda, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Jeetendra  

Melodrama, Wardrobe Whispers, and the Box-Office Fate of Jeetendra and Sridevi’s ‘Suhaagan’

 

Released on April 18, 1986, Suhaagan remains one of the more curious entries in the hyper-prolific collaboration between director K. Raghavendra Rao and leading lady Sridevi - particularly the prolific pairing of Jeetendra-Sridevi. 

A remake of the Telugu hit Aalokanam, the film paired Sridevi alongside Jeetendra, Raj Babbar, and Padmini Kolhapure in a high-pitched domestic family drama centered on sacrifice, societal expectations, and marital discord. This was classic soap opera... before the advent of ZeeTV and other cable channels that exploded in the late 90s, early oughts! 

At the box office, Suhaagan emerged as an average commercial performer - the songs charted fairly well. While it did not match the earth-shattering success of Tohfa (1984) or Himmatwala or Mawaali (1983), the presence of the reliable combo of Jeetendra–Sridevi marquee guarantees ensured decent theatrical returns, particularly across single-screen circuits in North India.

The Sridevi–Padmini dynamic was interesting to note. Both were child prodigies, both won Best Actress Filmfares in their teens, and yet had distinctly different styles of acting. The emotional anchor of the film lay in the contrasting sibling chemistry between Sridevi (Janki) and Padmini Kolhapure (Jyoti), providing the narrative with its core melodramatic weight. Rumours were the team wanted Jaya Prada as Sridevi-Jaya as sisters was a popular pairing, but the most famous feud between the two had reached boiling point and Sridevi, the bigger star by 1986, was hired and Padmini sashayed in. Though both the leading ladies were well-established, Padmini was no threat to Sridevi's dominance at the box-office. Sridevi was averaging 10 films a year, Padmini was married in 1986 and concentrating on family more than film. 

Bappi Lahiri’s score hit the charts - tracks like "Tu Ladka Garam Masala" and "Chamma cham chai" captured the mid-80s South-to-North crossover sound, blending fast-paced disco beats with heavy-handed emotional ballads. 

Kader Khan’s dialogues were the rage - written with signature theatrical flair, the sharp dialogue delivery provided vital comedic relief amid the heavy sentimental narrative in the melodrama. 

The commercial film arrived pre-packaged as the near frame by frame remake was made quickly - and the critics were not kind to the movie. During the mid-1980s, Sridevi's sartorial choices in her South-remake productions often drew sharp commentary from Hindi film journalists and glossy trade rags. Critics frequently panned the flamboyant, brightly colored ghagra-cholis and over-the-top, heavily sequined ensembles designed for the song sequences. Critics argued that the extravagant, exaggerated styling clashed jarringly with the tragic, traditional bhartiya nari narrative her character was meant to portray. Sridevi's dazzling outfits, crop tops, bikini-blouses and sequined ghaghra cholis were deemed risque - and the actress took note. She chose her designers, encouraged the employment of choreographers like Saroj Khan and even made sure the camera was placed where there was no possibility of a peekaboo shot. Though famously quiet, the actress took criticism to heart and the faster she climbed to the top, the volume of the canards increased, but like a meticulous editor, she carefully picked up constructive criticism, and discarded the chaff.  

Sridevi's magnetic screen presence effortlessly transcended the costume excess, reinforcing her position as the undisputed box-office queen of the decade.  

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!