Sridevi in white:

Sridevi at an event in her signature white. Still trying to figure out what event this was - there are pics in the archive of Sridevi in this look with Rishi Kapoor. 

Sridevi as Miss Hawa Hawaii on the sets of Mr.India

 Sridevi as Miss Hawa Hawaii on the sets of Mr.India 

Sridevi in studio: Sridevi on set

 Sridevi in studio: Sridevi on set! She sure liked that floral hair clip! 

Beautiful Sridevi in the 1990s in Bollywood

 Beautiful Sridevi in the 1990s in Bollywood 

Sridevi as Hawa Hawaii on the sets of Mr.India

 Sridevi as Hawa Hawaii on the sets of Mr.India 

Sridevi: Now and forever.

 

TBT: Sridevi on the sets of Mr.India back in 1985

TBT: Sridevi on the sets of Mr.India back in 1985

Eyes, eyes baby: Sridevi

 

16 year old Sridevi in the Tamil film Kalyanaraman (1979)

16 year old Sridevi in the Tamil film Kalyanaraman (1979)

Yet again playing the role of a village belle. 

Check out earlier post: Same same, but different! Stylin' Sridevi in movies: Looks so similar that even WE get confused 

Sridevi

 Sridevi

Sridevi by Palash Bose for Cine Blitz

Sridevi, 34, by Palash Bose for Cine Blitz. 

Styled by Manish Malhotra. 

Location, famed celebrity hangout Sun n Sand. 

The simple white t-shirt look of Sridevi was rare - she was always dressed in elaborate costumes otherwise. 

 

Sridevi's look in Solva Saawan (1979)

Sridevi's village belle look in Solva Saawan 

 

For years she had been essaying parts of a much older woman than her biological age and finally at age 16, she played the part of a 16-year-old in her first Hindi film Solva Saawan (16th Spring). A coming of age tale, a remake of her own smash hit in Tamil and Telugu, the Hindi film vie was a dismal flop.

Shot in one stretch over a period of 35 days in Jharkand, Sridevi didn't speak a word of Hindi and mouthed her lines while a dubbing artist did a voice-over for her. Her only film with Amol Palekar, she had great respect for the award-winning actor and director. 

However, when you look back on interviews Sridevi did while describing her experience working on her first Hindi (Bollywood!) film, it was abysmal from the get-go. 

Despite having done the Tamil and Telugu versions of the same film (which were blockbusters and garnered her much critical acclaim), by the time she started work on the Hindi version, she was bored beyond belief. She didn't speak the National language, Hindi, and was uncomfortable with the Bombay (pre-Mumbai!) team. What she remembers of it, she messed up her first take - a bad omen, she said she knew the film was destined to flop. 

Funnily enough, she wasn't too perturbed by the film's failure at the box-office as it meant, she wouldn't have to leave her home state. Sridevi famously said in her Tamil magazine interviews that she would do a few more films, get married and settled down, and bid movies adieu when she was in her early 20s. 

Destiny however had so much more for the young actress, who went on to become a legend in her own time. 

Flower Power: Sridevi

Re-post: Sridevi by Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Originally published in Filmfare annual. 

TBT: Sridevi in Vogue

Sridevi in Vogue, wearing Manish Malhotra.

Dec 2015. 

Sridevi in Kshana Kshanam (1991)

Sridevi on the sets of the song  Chali Champutunna Chamakkulo from the Telugu film Kshana Kshanam (1991). 

TBT: Sridevi by Palash Bose: Second Take: Sridevi in a white T-shirt

Palash Bose captures Sridevi for Cine Blitz - early 90s.

Sridevi in and as Chandra Mukhi (1993)

 

Sridevi on the sets of Chandra Mukhi - back in 1993 when the title role belonged to her and NOT Salman Khan.